March 4, 2002 – High among the things Lisa Galiber enjoyed doing while growing up on St. Croix was playing tennis. It's a sport in which she's now a force to be reckoned with in U.S. Tennis Association competition in Southern California.
Lisa Marie Galiber-Forgeron lives now in Murrieta Hot Springs, Calif., about an hour's drive north of San Diego. There, she and her partner, Antoinette "Toni" Kramer, recently had an undefeated USTA doubles season, then went on to win a pivotal match in a third-set tiebreaker at the UCLA State Finals.
And their 4.0 Ladies Doubles team placed second in Southern California.
And, as captain of her USTA 4.0 Mixed Doubles team, Galiber-Forgeron led the team to an undefeated season and a trip to the Southern California Sectionals later this spring.
And she'll be captaining her 4.0 Ladies Doubles Team in defense of its league championship.
The daughter of Edith Rose Galiber and the late Andre A. Galiber Sr. learned the game from her dad. She recalls many a weekend "spent playing at the old Questa Verde Tennis Club and competing against other islands in matches as juniors."
As a youngster, she mainly played singles. Her first doubles partner "was my sister Cecile. We were awesome!"
Her sister — now Cecile de Jongh — "has recently taken up the sport again, and we all try to play when we reunite," Galiber-Forgeron says. "There are good rumors of a Galiber Tennis Tournament being revived. My dad used to host one at the Buccaneer on New Year's Day. It was hard to party hardy when one had a tournament on New Year's Day. My dad was a very smart man!"
One year, she even won the mixed doubles competition.
The last time she visited St. Croix, "my father was still alive and was able to watch me play in a Bar Association mixed doubles tourney at the Buccaneer Hotel. He and my mom were my biggest fans!" They had plenty to cheer about: "My partner and I won the tournament 6-Love, 6-Love."
Galiber-Forgeron says she never really got excited about doubles competition until she and her partner made it to the finals in a St. Croix Women's Coalition tournament. Soon after, she moved to Atlanta, where she became a member of a tennis team that went to the city finals in 1995 — "and we won!"
On the 10-person team of five doubles, "I always played position No. 1," she says. In 1996, her team reached the Atlanta finals again, "but we lost all three setters."
The following year, on the day she was to leave Atlanta to drive cross-country to California, she played first in a USTA doubles competition on a team consisting of two singles and three doubles. It was "the city finals, which were held at the Atlanta Olympic Stadium in Stone Mountain, where Lindsay Davenport won Olympic Gold that year," she says, "and we swept the whole thing! We were city champions!"
In California, she lived for a while in San Diego, where she played a lot of tennis. "Different neigborhoods, clubs, parks compete against each other, much like Atlanta," she said. "It's a great way to make instant friends, network and stay in shape!"
Today, home is Murrieta Hot Springs, "where Lindsay Davenport moved to attend Murrieta Valley High School, and where I often substitute teach."
When she's not on the court, Galiber-Forgeron is in the classroom, working as a certified substitute teacher for kindergarten through 12th grade and special education in two school districts. "I like to give the kids tennis lessons during recess," she says, "and often draw hearts on old tennis balls, which I gift to them at the end of the day!"
The first week of August each year, she and her family attend the top-draw tennis tournament at La Costa Resort in nearby Carlsbad, Calif. "Our seats are right next to where the families of the women in pro tennis sit," she says. So she gets to chat with with Venus and Serena Williams' father, Richard, as well as the superstar tennis sisters, their family and friends. "And Alexandra Stevenson's mom and hitting partners think our seats are good luck. And I chatted with Mr. Capriati [Jennifer's father and coach, Stefano Capriati] last year while watching his daughter tear up the courts."
Galiber-Forgeron says it turns out that a Virgin Islands connection has been important to Capriati's career. The top-ranked women's tennis star "had a hitting partner who grew up on St. Croix," she explains. "Family friend Richard Ashby traveled with Jen for eight years during her early career, Mr. Capriati told me."
FOREIGN LANGUAGE WEEK CELEBRATION – ALL MONTH
March 4, 2002 – The St. Thomas-St. John public school system will join the nation in celebrating Foreign Language Week – this week and all through the month of March.
Some events have already taken place following the theme "Make New Friends! Open New Worlds! Celebrate Foreign Language!" Many more events are planned, according to an Education Department release. High schools, junior highs, elementary schools; assemblies, shows, class study; dance, arts, foods, alternative medicine – all that variety of activities and subjects will highlight Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, African, German, patois cultures.
"Each school planned their own events," said Sylvia Campbell, language arts coordinator for the district, "and my office provided the materials."
The honor society ceremonies at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, March 8, and at Charlotte Amalie High School, March 14, are open to parents wishing to attend.
The culmination of the month's celebration – for one group of students, at least – is probably the trip to Puerto Rico by members of the Kean High School La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, set for March 28.
So far events have been held at CAHS, Kean High School, several elementary schools, and Addelita Cancryn Junior High School.
Upcoming events:
Tuesday, March 5
Kean High School students will work with computers in the lab, celebrating Technology Day. Father Jerome Feudijio from Cameroon will present on African culture, French and Bamileke.
Lockhart Elementary will display Spanish booklets in the library.
Cancryn Junior High Spanish classes will enjoy games and contests. French classes will showcase French foods and will study the Caribbean islands where patois is spoken.
A number of elementary schools will view videos and learn songs.
Wednesday, March 6
Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School students will host a display of Spanish expressions they have painted on T-shirts.
Kean High School students will host sports and games in the Francophone and Hispanic worlds. Students in the Spanish Honor Society will wear their uniforms, and Ms. Foreign Language contestants will dress up. French students and teachers will wear red, white and blue. Dr. May Trieu will present on Chinese alternative medicine in the library.
CAHS will host classes from Addelita Cancryn Junior High and Lockhart Elementary at their Spanish poetry recitation and interpretation content in the auditorium.
Thursday, March 6
Kean High School student posters will be presented for Art Day.
CAHS will hold a Food Fair with Hispanic foods and French desserts.
Ulla Muller and Jane E. Tuitt Elementary School students will view videos and learn songs.
Friday, March 8
French assembly at CAHS.
Cancryn Junior High students will watch the video "Selena" in Spanish.
Kean High School will hold a Music and Dance Day. Dr. Hae Y. Pak will present on Korean culture. The chapter of La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica will initiate 28 Spanish students, with a reception to follow the ceremony.
Saturday, March 9
Kean High School students will hold a parent-sponsored Walk-A-Thon from McDonald's to Brewers Beach from 7 to 10 a.m.
Thursday, March 14
CAHS will induct new members into their chapter of La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica.
Tuesday, March 19
Kean High School art department will announce winners of the school's Foreign Language Week art contest.
Friday, March 22
A Ms. Foreign Languages Variety Show will be held at CAHS.
Wednesday, March 27
A Ms. Foreign Languages Variety Show will be held at Kean High School.
Thursday, March 28
Members of the Kean High School La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica will take a field trip to Puerto Rico.
Some events have already taken place following the theme "Make New Friends! Open New Worlds! Celebrate Foreign Language!" Many more events are planned, according to an Education Department release. High schools, junior highs, elementary schools; assemblies, shows, class study; dance, arts, foods, alternative medicine – all that variety of activities and subjects will highlight Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, African, German, patois cultures.
"Each school planned their own events," said Sylvia Campbell, language arts coordinator for the district, "and my office provided the materials."
The honor society ceremonies at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, March 8, and at Charlotte Amalie High School, March 14, are open to parents wishing to attend.
The culmination of the month's celebration – for one group of students, at least – is probably the trip to Puerto Rico by members of the Kean High School La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, set for March 28.
So far events have been held at CAHS, Kean High School, several elementary schools, and Addelita Cancryn Junior High School.
Upcoming events:
Tuesday, March 5
Kean High School students will work with computers in the lab, celebrating Technology Day. Father Jerome Feudijio from Cameroon will present on African culture, French and Bamileke.
Lockhart Elementary will display Spanish booklets in the library.
Cancryn Junior High Spanish classes will enjoy games and contests. French classes will showcase French foods and will study the Caribbean islands where patois is spoken.
A number of elementary schools will view videos and learn songs.
Wednesday, March 6
Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School students will host a display of Spanish expressions they have painted on T-shirts.
Kean High School students will host sports and games in the Francophone and Hispanic worlds. Students in the Spanish Honor Society will wear their uniforms, and Ms. Foreign Language contestants will dress up. French students and teachers will wear red, white and blue. Dr. May Trieu will present on Chinese alternative medicine in the library.
CAHS will host classes from Addelita Cancryn Junior High and Lockhart Elementary at their Spanish poetry recitation and interpretation content in the auditorium.
Thursday, March 6
Kean High School student posters will be presented for Art Day.
CAHS will hold a Food Fair with Hispanic foods and French desserts.
Ulla Muller and Jane E. Tuitt Elementary School students will view videos and learn songs.
Friday, March 8
French assembly at CAHS.
Cancryn Junior High students will watch the video "Selena" in Spanish.
Kean High School will hold a Music and Dance Day. Dr. Hae Y. Pak will present on Korean culture. The chapter of La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica will initiate 28 Spanish students, with a reception to follow the ceremony.
Saturday, March 9
Kean High School students will hold a parent-sponsored Walk-A-Thon from McDonald's to Brewers Beach from 7 to 10 a.m.
Thursday, March 14
CAHS will induct new members into their chapter of La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica.
Tuesday, March 19
Kean High School art department will announce winners of the school's Foreign Language Week art contest.
Friday, March 22
A Ms. Foreign Languages Variety Show will be held at CAHS.
Wednesday, March 27
A Ms. Foreign Languages Variety Show will be held at Kean High School.
Thursday, March 28
Members of the Kean High School La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica will take a field trip to Puerto Rico.
UVI BULLETIN BOARD
March 4, 2002 – The University of the Virgin Islands announces these upcoming events:
St. Croix Health Fair, Blood Drive planned
The University of the Virgin Islands Health Services Department, St. Croix campus, will sponsor the annual UVI Health Fair and Blood Drive on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Greathouse. In addition to accepting blood donations, activities will include glucose, blood pressure, HIV, cholesterol, glaucoma and vision screening. Pearle Vision and members of the St. Croix Lions Club will assist with glaucoma and vision screening. Instruction in the proper techniques for performing self-breast and self-testicular exams will be offered.
Also offered will be a session on "West Indian Eating" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and, at the same time, a peer counselors and health educators' group discussion on HIV/AIDS and relationships. For details contact Tita Encarnacion Thompson at 692-4214, or Francella Tonge at 693-4180.
Foreign Language Honor Society to offer French, Spanish cuisine
UVI's Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma, the national collegiate foreign language honor society, and the Humanities Division will celebrate National Foreign Language Week with a public sampling of French and Spanish cuisine on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sports and Fitness Center, second floor, left concourse. Presentations of French and Spanish dance and songs will begin at noon. Tickets are $3 and can be purchased at the Humanities Division or at the door.
Business Tax Preparation Seminar Set
UVI's Small Business Development Center, in collaboration with the V.I. Internal Revenue Bureau, will offer a free seminar titled "Filing Your Business Taxes for 2001," on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the center's Training Facility at Nisky Center. For details or pre-registration, call the center at 776-3206.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the website at www.uvi.edu.
UVI BULLETIN BOARD
March 4, 2002 – The University of the Virgin Islands has announced these upcoming events:
St. Croix Health Fair, Blood Drive planned
The University of the Virgin Islands Health Services Department, St. Croix campus, will sponsor the annual UVI Health Fair and Blood Drive on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Greathouse. In addition to accepting blood donations, activities will include glucose, blood pressure, HIV, cholesterol, glaucoma and vision screening. Pearle Vision and members of the St. Croix Lions Club will assist with glaucoma and vision screening. Instruction in the proper techniques for performing self-breast and self-testicular exams will be offered.
Also offered will be a session on "West Indian Eating" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and, at the same time, a peer counselors and health educators' group discussion on HIV/AIDS and relationships. For details contact Tita Encarnacion Thompson at 692-4214, or Francella Tonge at 693-4180.
Foreign Language Honor Society to offer French, Spanish cuisine
UVI's Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma, the national collegiate foreign language honor society, and the Humanities Division will celebrate National Foreign Language Week with a public sampling of French and Spanish cuisine on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sports and Fitness Center, second floor, left concourse. Presentations of French and Spanish dance and songs will begin at noon. Tickets are $3 and can be purchased at the Humanities Division or at the door.
Business Tax Preparation Seminar Set
UVI's Small Business Development Center, in collaboration with the V.I. Internal Revenue Bureau, will offer a free seminar titled "Filing Your Business Taxes for 2001," on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the center's Training Facility at Nisky Center. For details or pre-registration, call the center at 776-3206.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the website at www.uvi.edu.
St. Croix Health Fair, Blood Drive planned
The University of the Virgin Islands Health Services Department, St. Croix campus, will sponsor the annual UVI Health Fair and Blood Drive on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Greathouse. In addition to accepting blood donations, activities will include glucose, blood pressure, HIV, cholesterol, glaucoma and vision screening. Pearle Vision and members of the St. Croix Lions Club will assist with glaucoma and vision screening. Instruction in the proper techniques for performing self-breast and self-testicular exams will be offered.
Also offered will be a session on "West Indian Eating" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and, at the same time, a peer counselors and health educators' group discussion on HIV/AIDS and relationships. For details contact Tita Encarnacion Thompson at 692-4214, or Francella Tonge at 693-4180.
Foreign Language Honor Society to offer French, Spanish cuisine
UVI's Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma, the national collegiate foreign language honor society, and the Humanities Division will celebrate National Foreign Language Week with a public sampling of French and Spanish cuisine on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sports and Fitness Center, second floor, left concourse. Presentations of French and Spanish dance and songs will begin at noon. Tickets are $3 and can be purchased at the Humanities Division or at the door.
Business Tax Preparation Seminar Set
UVI's Small Business Development Center, in collaboration with the V.I. Internal Revenue Bureau, will offer a free seminar titled "Filing Your Business Taxes for 2001," on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the center's Training Facility at Nisky Center. For details or pre-registration, call the center at 776-3206.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the website at www.uvi.edu.
GET A FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE CLIO AWARDS
Get a glimpse of how the big guys do it as the Ad Club of the V.I. presents the 42nd annual Clio Awards for television.
The Clio awards have been providing a guideline for a standard of excellence in advertising since 1959. Clio is the world's largest advertising awards competition.
Clio recognizes advertising excellence worldwide in the areas of television, print, outdoor, radio, integrated media, package design and interactive Web sites.
The public and all Ad Club members are invited to the show at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 12 at Wyndham Sugar Bay's theater. The program will start promptly at 6 p.m.
There will be a $10 charge which includes the Clios and popcorn. A cash bar will also be available.
Call 777-8144 for more information.
The Clio awards have been providing a guideline for a standard of excellence in advertising since 1959. Clio is the world's largest advertising awards competition.
Clio recognizes advertising excellence worldwide in the areas of television, print, outdoor, radio, integrated media, package design and interactive Web sites.
The public and all Ad Club members are invited to the show at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 12 at Wyndham Sugar Bay's theater. The program will start promptly at 6 p.m.
There will be a $10 charge which includes the Clios and popcorn. A cash bar will also be available.
Call 777-8144 for more information.
RUN OR WALK THE UVI QUEEN MARY 5K RACE
March 4, 2002 – As part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands will host the UVI Queen Mary 5K Run/Walk. This event will be held at 6 a.m. Friday, March 15.
Students, alumni, full- and part-time faculty, sororities, fraternities, retirees, community friends and supporters are invited to participate.
Participants, runners and walkers, will start at the Sunshine Mall and proceed east along Queen Mary Highway to the campus. Transportation from the campus to the Mall will depart at 5:40 a.m. for those persons wanting to leave their cars on the campus.
Awards commemorating the 40th anniversary will be presented to the top male and female finishers and the top finishers in each age category. Each participant will also receive a certificate. A registration fee of $12 covers a commemorative T-shirt and commemorative water bottle.
Advance registration is strongly encouraged. Please do so by calling 692-4000 or logging on to www.virginislandspace.org/NewHomePage and filling out the on-line registration form. Limited event day registration will take place at the KMart in Sunshine Mall from 5:30 a.m. to starting time.
Students, alumni, full- and part-time faculty, sororities, fraternities, retirees, community friends and supporters are invited to participate.
Participants, runners and walkers, will start at the Sunshine Mall and proceed east along Queen Mary Highway to the campus. Transportation from the campus to the Mall will depart at 5:40 a.m. for those persons wanting to leave their cars on the campus.
Awards commemorating the 40th anniversary will be presented to the top male and female finishers and the top finishers in each age category. Each participant will also receive a certificate. A registration fee of $12 covers a commemorative T-shirt and commemorative water bottle.
Advance registration is strongly encouraged. Please do so by calling 692-4000 or logging on to www.virginislandspace.org/NewHomePage and filling out the on-line registration form. Limited event day registration will take place at the KMart in Sunshine Mall from 5:30 a.m. to starting time.
7 GALLERIES TO KEEP 'WALKING HOURS' THURSDAY
March 4, 2002 – If you're an art appreciator, keep your comfortable shoes handy. This Thursday, being the first Thursday in March, is also the fourth monthly Art Thursday, which is an occasion as well as a day.
It's when downtown Christiansted fine art galleries and artisan shops keep their doors open after hours and invite the public to stroll from place to place to see what they have to offer.
"Walking hours" are from 5 to 9 p.m. A self-guided tour of the participating galleries, shops and dining establishments will find the following enticements:
– Campen Gallery continues to feature a print and poster show.
– Christiansted Gallery is showcasing an enamel on wood panel work by Vietnamese artist Nga, a former St. Croix resident.
– Danica Art Gallery has works by New York painter Keesje Fischer.
– Gallery Gia is showing hand-created screens by David Nelson and sculpture by Steve Adams
– Maria Henle Studio is exhibiting the owner/artist's paintings, some vintage, some brand new.
– Mark Austin Gallery features the fine art and craft work of the owner/artist.
– Taller Larjas has a preview of new work by Gerville Larsen.
– I.B. Designs is spotlighting jewelry by Whealan incorporating chaney, the found pieces of broken crockery, and goldsmithing work.
– Iona Skye Studio and Gallery is displaying a mask jewelry series.
– Jewelweed is featuring fine handmade jewelry.
Recognizing that so much walking can stimulate a hunger for more than art, the Bacchus, Bombay Club, Kendrick's, Indies, Rum Runners, Savant and Tutto Bene restaurants will be offering wine and dessert specials all evening.
Art Thursday attendees can make their stops in any order. The galleries are located within easy walking distance of one another in the downtown Christiansted area except for the Campen, which is in Gallows Bay. It's suggested that participants visit this one first or last, by car, and otherwise do the tour on foot.
Art Thursday is an initiative of the participating establishments. "Come on out and support Christiansted's art galleries!" the cooperating owners say.
It's when downtown Christiansted fine art galleries and artisan shops keep their doors open after hours and invite the public to stroll from place to place to see what they have to offer.
"Walking hours" are from 5 to 9 p.m. A self-guided tour of the participating galleries, shops and dining establishments will find the following enticements:
– Campen Gallery continues to feature a print and poster show.
– Christiansted Gallery is showcasing an enamel on wood panel work by Vietnamese artist Nga, a former St. Croix resident.
– Danica Art Gallery has works by New York painter Keesje Fischer.
– Gallery Gia is showing hand-created screens by David Nelson and sculpture by Steve Adams
– Maria Henle Studio is exhibiting the owner/artist's paintings, some vintage, some brand new.
– Mark Austin Gallery features the fine art and craft work of the owner/artist.
– Taller Larjas has a preview of new work by Gerville Larsen.
– I.B. Designs is spotlighting jewelry by Whealan incorporating chaney, the found pieces of broken crockery, and goldsmithing work.
– Iona Skye Studio and Gallery is displaying a mask jewelry series.
– Jewelweed is featuring fine handmade jewelry.
Recognizing that so much walking can stimulate a hunger for more than art, the Bacchus, Bombay Club, Kendrick's, Indies, Rum Runners, Savant and Tutto Bene restaurants will be offering wine and dessert specials all evening.
Art Thursday attendees can make their stops in any order. The galleries are located within easy walking distance of one another in the downtown Christiansted area except for the Campen, which is in Gallows Bay. It's suggested that participants visit this one first or last, by car, and otherwise do the tour on foot.
Art Thursday is an initiative of the participating establishments. "Come on out and support Christiansted's art galleries!" the cooperating owners say.
CZM LAWYER CALLS FOR MORE LOVANGO FINES
March 4, 2002 – The Coastal Zone Management Commission's legal counsel has recommended additional fines against the builders of a dock at Lovango Cay, where environmental inspectors found a swath of damaged coral.
In a memorandum to Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean Plaskett dated Feb. 27, CZM's legal counsel, Julita de Leon, recommended issuance of an additional notice of violation, along with punitive damages. She stated in the memo that the builders, Joseph John Markus Trust, and their attorney, Tom Bolt, ignored a cease-and-desist order filed Feb. 21 to stop construction of the dock and that they knowingly went ahead with the work for several days.
DPNR regulators shut down work on the dock last week.
Bolt has said the Markus Trust was not properly served with the cease-and-desist order.
Plaskett levied a $2.9 million fine against the Markus Trust and the St. John barge company Boyson Inc. last month in connection with damage to an area of coral along the south shore of Lovango Cay where the Markus Trust has permits to rebuild a hurricane-damaged house and to construct an 80-foot concrete dock.
PNR inspectors found broken coral and parts of a reef buried under sand after a Boyson barge unloaded construction material at the site in January, according to a PNR report.
On Monday, government attorneys met with representatives of the Markus Trust and Boyson Inc. to discuss issues surrounding the $2.9 million fine. The meeting, which was closed to the public, went all day and will resume Friday, Bolt said late Monday.
The parties did not discuss the possibility of any additional fines but exchanged information that should help in working out a resolution, Bolt said. "It was a good meeting," he said. "We're working on a resolution that is acceptable to both sides."
PNR officials did not respond to requests for information about Monday's meeting.
Also discussed in Monday's meeting was a remediation plan for the damaged coral. Bio-Impact Inc., a St. Croix company hired by the Markus Trust as an environmental monitor, has been repairing broken corals by using an epoxy to bind them to the seafloor. Amy Dempsey of Bio-Impact said she needed five more days to complete the work, Bolt said Monday.
The remediation plan could be extended into a long-term plan to better protect the coral reefs at Lovango Cay, a popular destination for daysail excursions and snorkelers, Bolt said last week. Such a plan could include the placing of moorings in the area, he said.
In a memorandum to Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean Plaskett dated Feb. 27, CZM's legal counsel, Julita de Leon, recommended issuance of an additional notice of violation, along with punitive damages. She stated in the memo that the builders, Joseph John Markus Trust, and their attorney, Tom Bolt, ignored a cease-and-desist order filed Feb. 21 to stop construction of the dock and that they knowingly went ahead with the work for several days.
DPNR regulators shut down work on the dock last week.
Bolt has said the Markus Trust was not properly served with the cease-and-desist order.
Plaskett levied a $2.9 million fine against the Markus Trust and the St. John barge company Boyson Inc. last month in connection with damage to an area of coral along the south shore of Lovango Cay where the Markus Trust has permits to rebuild a hurricane-damaged house and to construct an 80-foot concrete dock.
PNR inspectors found broken coral and parts of a reef buried under sand after a Boyson barge unloaded construction material at the site in January, according to a PNR report.
On Monday, government attorneys met with representatives of the Markus Trust and Boyson Inc. to discuss issues surrounding the $2.9 million fine. The meeting, which was closed to the public, went all day and will resume Friday, Bolt said late Monday.
The parties did not discuss the possibility of any additional fines but exchanged information that should help in working out a resolution, Bolt said. "It was a good meeting," he said. "We're working on a resolution that is acceptable to both sides."
PNR officials did not respond to requests for information about Monday's meeting.
Also discussed in Monday's meeting was a remediation plan for the damaged coral. Bio-Impact Inc., a St. Croix company hired by the Markus Trust as an environmental monitor, has been repairing broken corals by using an epoxy to bind them to the seafloor. Amy Dempsey of Bio-Impact said she needed five more days to complete the work, Bolt said Monday.
The remediation plan could be extended into a long-term plan to better protect the coral reefs at Lovango Cay, a popular destination for daysail excursions and snorkelers, Bolt said last week. Such a plan could include the placing of moorings in the area, he said.
SIMMONDS: ACCREDITATION APPEAL HEARING FAIR
March 4, 2002 – Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds and the heads of three of the territory's public high schools said Monday they felt they received a fair hearing when they went before an appeal panel of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools last week to ask that the decision to take away the schools' accreditation be reconsidered.
The V.I. education officials do not know what the three-member appellate panel will recommend at an April meeting of the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, the accrediting body for Virgin Islands high schools. But they said they remain hopeful that the local schools will be able to keep their accreditation.
"The three members were very receptive," Kent Moorhead, Central High School principal, said at a press conference Monday. "They felt we have shown the level of commitment necessary to make the changes."
Jeanette Smith-Barry, Charlotte Amalie High School principal, said she was encouraged that the panel wanted to hear about changes that have been made. "I was able to show that our accreditation should hinge on whether the school has made improvement," she said. "I remain hopeful that our schools will remain accredited far beyond 2002."
Along with Central and Charlotte Amalie, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School was advised by Middle States in November that its accreditation would be withdrawn as of Dec. 31. The territory's fourth public high school, St. Croix Educational Complex High School, has never been accredited.
Simmonds called the press conference Monday to report on the appeal hearing, which took place Thursday in Pennsylvania. The appeal panel will recommend one of three actions: that the commission uphold the decision to revoke the schools' accreditation, reverse the decision, or continue accreditation provisionally under certain conditions. The commission is expected to act on the panel's recommendation at its semi-annual meeting April 26-27.
The commission's decision is expected before May 1, Simmonds said.
In November, the commission said it was revoking the schools' accreditation because of poor teacher and student attendance, lack of an adequate substitute teacher pool and lack of site-based management at the schools — meaning that principals do not have the authority or funds to implement decisions about the operation of their respective schools.
The Education Department appealed the decision, arguing that it would have been different if the commission had had additional information about improvements that have been made in those areas, Simmonds said.
Prior to last week's hearing, she said, the Education Department submitted additional documentation about improvements in attendance, programs that have been set up to improve it further, and funds the principals have received to enable them to make decisions at the school level.
While appealing the withdrawal of accreditation, Education Department officials meanwhile have also applied for new accreditation for the three schools. Simmonds said if that is secured, Educational Complex may then apply for accreditation as well.
She said that meeting the commission's criteria for site-based management would require changes in Virgin Islands law about procurement issues. Changing the law lies outside the authority of Education officials, but they are studying whether to recommend such changes to the Legislature, she said.
While the appeal panel's questions were mostly about the four specific issues in question, the members also asked the principals about their overall feel for how their students are performing, Moorhead said. He noted that while there are improvements to be made, many students are moving on to college and succeeding.
Eudora Kean's acting principal, Lydia Lettsome, said the accreditation issue is particularly important to the students in her school's Junior ROTC program, as military academies and some branches of the armed services require graduation from an accredited high school.
In December, local and area recruiting officers for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force said those branches do not require that enlistees be graduates of a regionally accredited high school.
Simmonds said that admission to colleges and universities could also be impacted, although most applications do not ask whether the student is planning to graduate from an accredited school.
Nonetheless, accreditation is important as a reflection of the standards the schools maintain, she said, "not just to people involved in the schools, but to the whole community. We all have a personal stake in this."
The V.I. education officials do not know what the three-member appellate panel will recommend at an April meeting of the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, the accrediting body for Virgin Islands high schools. But they said they remain hopeful that the local schools will be able to keep their accreditation.
"The three members were very receptive," Kent Moorhead, Central High School principal, said at a press conference Monday. "They felt we have shown the level of commitment necessary to make the changes."
Jeanette Smith-Barry, Charlotte Amalie High School principal, said she was encouraged that the panel wanted to hear about changes that have been made. "I was able to show that our accreditation should hinge on whether the school has made improvement," she said. "I remain hopeful that our schools will remain accredited far beyond 2002."
Along with Central and Charlotte Amalie, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School was advised by Middle States in November that its accreditation would be withdrawn as of Dec. 31. The territory's fourth public high school, St. Croix Educational Complex High School, has never been accredited.
Simmonds called the press conference Monday to report on the appeal hearing, which took place Thursday in Pennsylvania. The appeal panel will recommend one of three actions: that the commission uphold the decision to revoke the schools' accreditation, reverse the decision, or continue accreditation provisionally under certain conditions. The commission is expected to act on the panel's recommendation at its semi-annual meeting April 26-27.
The commission's decision is expected before May 1, Simmonds said.
In November, the commission said it was revoking the schools' accreditation because of poor teacher and student attendance, lack of an adequate substitute teacher pool and lack of site-based management at the schools — meaning that principals do not have the authority or funds to implement decisions about the operation of their respective schools.
The Education Department appealed the decision, arguing that it would have been different if the commission had had additional information about improvements that have been made in those areas, Simmonds said.
Prior to last week's hearing, she said, the Education Department submitted additional documentation about improvements in attendance, programs that have been set up to improve it further, and funds the principals have received to enable them to make decisions at the school level.
While appealing the withdrawal of accreditation, Education Department officials meanwhile have also applied for new accreditation for the three schools. Simmonds said if that is secured, Educational Complex may then apply for accreditation as well.
She said that meeting the commission's criteria for site-based management would require changes in Virgin Islands law about procurement issues. Changing the law lies outside the authority of Education officials, but they are studying whether to recommend such changes to the Legislature, she said.
While the appeal panel's questions were mostly about the four specific issues in question, the members also asked the principals about their overall feel for how their students are performing, Moorhead said. He noted that while there are improvements to be made, many students are moving on to college and succeeding.
Eudora Kean's acting principal, Lydia Lettsome, said the accreditation issue is particularly important to the students in her school's Junior ROTC program, as military academies and some branches of the armed services require graduation from an accredited high school.
In December, local and area recruiting officers for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force said those branches do not require that enlistees be graduates of a regionally accredited high school.
Simmonds said that admission to colleges and universities could also be impacted, although most applications do not ask whether the student is planning to graduate from an accredited school.
Nonetheless, accreditation is important as a reflection of the standards the schools maintain, she said, "not just to people involved in the schools, but to the whole community. We all have a personal stake in this."
DENTIST: NATIONAL STANDARD FOR RECORDS NEEDED
March 4, 2002 – St. Thomas dentist Susan Anderson is preparing to propose a the adoption of a national standard for dental records — and she would be happy to see it eventually become an international standard, as well.
Anderson has formed her recommendations after spending more than five months identifying remains retrieved from the World Trade Center in New York. Much of the work was done by matching victims' dental patterns with their most recent dental records.
As a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "there are a lot of people now who realize how dental records are charted, the importance of dental records themselves in identification, and that it's time for us to be thinking about universal standards," she said.
Inconsistencies in record keeping made it tough for forensic teams working in the morgue at Ground Zero, Anderson said. In some cases, she said, five and six records had to be compared in order to see which one offered the best guess on a victim's identity. For victims from other countries, the situation was even worse, since the dental numbering systems don't match those in use in the United States.
Anderson shared a dental practice on St. Thomas up until two years ago, when an interest in forensic dentistry led her to post-graduate study in the field. Although she is still a part-time St. Thomas resident, she holds appointment as the deputy coroner of Lycoming County in north-central Pennsylvania.
While working in New York, as she read records submitted by families searching for their loved ones, she found differences in notations for the same kinds of dental work. And sometimes just reading handwriting was a problem. "The written daily record that tells what work has been done should be legible and readable by anybody," she said.
Anderson and a team of colleagues are planning to present a paper proposing new national charting standards at a conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences next year. The new system, she said, would be based on the one now used by the U.S. military.
Anderson has formed her recommendations after spending more than five months identifying remains retrieved from the World Trade Center in New York. Much of the work was done by matching victims' dental patterns with their most recent dental records.
As a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "there are a lot of people now who realize how dental records are charted, the importance of dental records themselves in identification, and that it's time for us to be thinking about universal standards," she said.
Inconsistencies in record keeping made it tough for forensic teams working in the morgue at Ground Zero, Anderson said. In some cases, she said, five and six records had to be compared in order to see which one offered the best guess on a victim's identity. For victims from other countries, the situation was even worse, since the dental numbering systems don't match those in use in the United States.
Anderson shared a dental practice on St. Thomas up until two years ago, when an interest in forensic dentistry led her to post-graduate study in the field. Although she is still a part-time St. Thomas resident, she holds appointment as the deputy coroner of Lycoming County in north-central Pennsylvania.
While working in New York, as she read records submitted by families searching for their loved ones, she found differences in notations for the same kinds of dental work. And sometimes just reading handwriting was a problem. "The written daily record that tells what work has been done should be legible and readable by anybody," she said.
Anderson and a team of colleagues are planning to present a paper proposing new national charting standards at a conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences next year. The new system, she said, would be based on the one now used by the U.S. military.
