March 3, 2002 – The problem of lost and unaccounted-for police weapons hasn't changed much since 1994. Neither has suspicion surrounding the Narcotics Strike Force or the lackadaisical handling of grants by the Law Enforcement Planning Commission.
Police Department missing property
A recent federal audit of Police Department administrative functions, conducted by the Interior Department, found that 68 weapons were not accounted for, and that four of the missing guns were recovered after being used in the commission of crimes.
A 1994 audit, conducted by V.I. Office of Inspector General, determined that 34 firearms were missing, with six of the weapons later identified as having been used in crimes.
In his response to the federal audit manager, Arnold VanBeverhoudt, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull said the territory's system for collecting and disposing of evidence was complex and would take "additional time and resources" to sort out.
Along with weapons, the federal auditors determined that uniforms, police badges, handcuffs and evidence also were missing.
On St. Croix, firearms and ammunition were found stored on open shelves. On St. Thomas, inventories of crime evidence were neither complete nor accurate. And there was little uniformity in the operation of the St. Croix and St. Thomas property rooms.
The St. Thomas property room had been located in an abandoned building, formerly the main police station, while property storage rooms were being prepared at the recently refurbished Alexander Farrelly Criminal Justice Complex. Police moved from the dilapidated Zone A Command facilities on Norre Gade into the renovated space at the Farrelly complex last June.
To test the accountability for crime evidence, auditors sampled 92 items, 37 on St. Croix and 55 on St. Thomas. All of the St. Croix items were accounted for. On St. Thomas, 19 items, including 14 firearms, were not found.
The Police Department also lost $54,500 in federal grant money because 200 bulletproof vests that were ordered with the grant were the wrong size and were therefore unusable. The vendor accepted the return of 96 vests, but the remaining 104 had to be given to other law-enforcement agencies. The audit did not say if there were 104 officers without vests as a result of what the auditors called "poor planning."
Strike Force strikes out
The audit, conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General, criticized the Narcotics Strike Force, which has been under the purview of the Police Department since November 1999, for the "questionable" use of $206,854 out of $572,000 in funds slated for confidential and undercover operations.
Included in the "used for questionable purposes" column was $149,790 spent by former Strike Force officials and the former director of the agency to rent residential property on all three islands, purportedly for undercover operations.
The property on St. John was rented for seven months from a relative of a police officer to the tune of $10,000 and was used as a "vacation home" for agency officials, the report said.
On St. Thomas, two residences were leased for a year, each at a cost of $2,000 per month.
Another questioned expenditure was of $27,209 for telephone services, cellular phones, beepers and Internet services for top agency officials.
And $22,690 was paid to a Strike Force official and two associates for undocumented "expense money."
According to the report, "During the period of Dec. 22, 1999, to March 17, 2000, the Strike Force official received $5,100 in cash and $5,800 in checks. The account's checkbook listed the cash payments as 'expense money,' with no other explanation." However, the report goes on to say, "The former Strike Force official was not trained to perform undercover work, and there were no documented reports to justify the payment of these funds."
Between April and July 2000, another $11,790 was paid to two people, "one being a relative, for undercover work." These people did not follow established procedures and were not trained for undercover work, nor were they government employees, the report stated.
"However, they received government funds … and were allowed to operate government vehicles during and after office hours. We found no documentation as to what services they might have provided to the Strike Force," the audit said.
Further, the report said, no action was ever taken to recover $22,000 for Strike Force vehicle totaled in an accident with a drunken off-duty police officer. The vehicle was never replaced and was being "cannibalized for parts."
Bad loans and unaccounted-for budget adjustments resulted in almost $36,000 in other questionable uses or losses of Strike Force funds.
Two years prior to being placed under the Police Department umbrella, the Strike Force came under fire by then-Police Commissioner Ramon Davila, who said some of the Strike Force agents were not trustworthy.
And in 1997, José Garcia, at the time the acting St. Thomas- St. John police chief, told the Legislature that two St. Thomas Strike Force agents had criminal backgrounds and four agents — three on St. Croix and one on St. Thomas — were being investigated by the FBI.
Then-Attorney General Julio Brady and Davila proposed that the agency be dismantled. It wasn't.
Law Enforcement Planning Commission's role
On a less-dramatic, but no-less-painful note, the report said grants to the Law Enforcement Planning Commission in the amount of $2.3 million were "not used effectively."
Sixteen grants for years 1995 to 1998 were closed out with $949,019 not having been used for their intended law-enforcement purposes.
A letter dated May 24, 2000, from the U.S. Department of Justice cited more unused grant balances totaling almost $1.4 million for fiscal years 1992 to 1996.
The audit said, "Considering that non-profit organizations and other potential subgrantees needed funds to effectively carry out programs related to law enforcement, the commission should have made greater efforts to use all available grant funds."
Part of the problem might have been that all the terms of supervisory board members had expired by 1997. The advisory board, responsible for "programs under the Federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act," among other things, has not met in more than eight years — since Dec. 9, 1993.
The LEPC grant administrator requested more than a year ago that Turnbull appoint new members to the board. Police Commissioner Franz Christian has done so again, according to his response to the audit's recommendations.
In a January 2001 letter to then-drug policy advisor Wayne Chinnery, an acting assistant attorney general expressed concerns about late submissions and the absence in some cases of grant reports. Chinnery was fired by the governor, without explanation, a few months later.
Other glaring problems at LEPC include lack of grant oversight, loss of potential interest income on grant money, and lack of career employees.
Although the V.I. Code states that "all employees of the Law Enforcement Planning Commission except the administrator should be career employees," only three of 10 were classified employees at the time of the audit, auditors found.
Further, the non-classified employees were allowed to set their own salaries, "which were paid from federal funds," the audit said.
Christian concurred with the 18 recommendations made by the auditors but gave no dates for completing corrective action. Therefore, only one recommendation was considered resolved and implemented, which was the control of firearms.
Christian said, "Measures will be immediately implemented to account for all weapons that have been procured by the department for use by authorized departmental personnel."
V.I. INVENTIVENESS NOTED AT MEDICAL CONFERENCE
March 3, 2002 – Physicians and other health-care professionals from the U.S. mainland joined their counterparts on St. Thomas Friday and Saturday to discuss current issues affecting the health of the nation's African-American community.
The occasion was the National Medical Association's Clinical Practices and Management Update conference at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort.
Participants discussed ways to get their diabetic patients to be more cooperative in their eating and self-testing habits, and the latest emergency treatment for heart attacks. Presenters focused on the facts about Alzheimer's Disease among African-Americans, with the latest research showing a higher incidence of this brain-wasting disease at a younger age in this population. Also high on the agenda was the continuing spread of AIDS and HIV in the United States and in the Caribbean.
Doctors attending the conference received credits from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.
Among the presenters were Virgin Islanders: Dr. Cora Christian and Beverly Blackwell, director of the Health Department's immunization program. Blackwell told attendees of a host of goals and challenges yet to be met in protecting people in the territory from infectious diseases. Shortages of pneumonia and flu vaccines, she said, are leaving portions of the population unprotected.
To address those problems, Christian said, she and her colleagues have devised some creative approaches to problem solving. For example, on St. Croix recently, she said, flu vaccine was flown in as part of V.I. National Guard exercise, then turned over to immunization care givers for distribution at a health fair in the Frederiksted area. As a result, Christian said, one third of the island's Medicaid recipients were given flu shots. The doctor called it a good use of "defense dollars."
The NMA, a predominantly African-American professional association, has been around in the United States since the 1860s, its president, Dr. Lucille Perez, said. It got its start when doctors of African descent were barred from joining the American Medical Association. In order to practice medicine, "you had to belong to a medical society," Perez said. "So, we formed our own." Today the organization represents 25,000 doctors nationwide.
Sponsors of this year's clinical practices conference included Christensen's office and the Tourism Department Perez said participation by Christensen, who is a physician, was especially welcome because the delegate chairs the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust. Christensen is the only female physician in the House of Representatives, and she can wield a lot of clout in national health policies affecting African-Americans, Perez said, adding, "We're very proud of Donna."
The occasion was the National Medical Association's Clinical Practices and Management Update conference at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort.
Participants discussed ways to get their diabetic patients to be more cooperative in their eating and self-testing habits, and the latest emergency treatment for heart attacks. Presenters focused on the facts about Alzheimer's Disease among African-Americans, with the latest research showing a higher incidence of this brain-wasting disease at a younger age in this population. Also high on the agenda was the continuing spread of AIDS and HIV in the United States and in the Caribbean.
Doctors attending the conference received credits from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.
Among the presenters were Virgin Islanders: Dr. Cora Christian and Beverly Blackwell, director of the Health Department's immunization program. Blackwell told attendees of a host of goals and challenges yet to be met in protecting people in the territory from infectious diseases. Shortages of pneumonia and flu vaccines, she said, are leaving portions of the population unprotected.
To address those problems, Christian said, she and her colleagues have devised some creative approaches to problem solving. For example, on St. Croix recently, she said, flu vaccine was flown in as part of V.I. National Guard exercise, then turned over to immunization care givers for distribution at a health fair in the Frederiksted area. As a result, Christian said, one third of the island's Medicaid recipients were given flu shots. The doctor called it a good use of "defense dollars."
The NMA, a predominantly African-American professional association, has been around in the United States since the 1860s, its president, Dr. Lucille Perez, said. It got its start when doctors of African descent were barred from joining the American Medical Association. In order to practice medicine, "you had to belong to a medical society," Perez said. "So, we formed our own." Today the organization represents 25,000 doctors nationwide.
Sponsors of this year's clinical practices conference included Christensen's office and the Tourism Department Perez said participation by Christensen, who is a physician, was especially welcome because the delegate chairs the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust. Christensen is the only female physician in the House of Representatives, and she can wield a lot of clout in national health policies affecting African-Americans, Perez said, adding, "We're very proud of Donna."
SAY CHEESE, AND THEY ALL SMILE — BETWEEN BITES
March 3, 2002 – Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School teacher Nancy Halderman reached out for a slice of creamy white milk cheese. "Ummm, this is good," she said. Next to her, Realtor April Newland scanned the selection of goat's milk cheeses arrayed on the deli counter. "I'll try that one next," she said, pointing.
The women were among the many enthusiasts taking in the weekly complimentary Tuesday evening wine and cheese tasting at the Gourmet Gallery shop in Havensight Mall.
A month ago, the food shop began hosting the tastings, which begin at 6 p.m., as a way to educate customers about less-familiar foods. "Cheese is something people are curious about, something they have an open mind about," event planner Bill Hyde said. "Customers have enjoyed tasting and learning about the different kinds of cheeses, types within a family, texture and quality differences."
Tastings have focused on cheddar and Swiss variations and, most recently, goat's milk varieties. Hyde arranges the displays with Roland Jarvis and Triston Baker, students from Charlotte Amalie and Ivanna Eudora Kean High Schools, respectively. The youths, who work part-time at the store, both are keen on careers in the culinary industry. They set out the cheeses an hour ahead of the event to allow them to warm to room temperature so the flavors can better be appreciated.
The 20-plus goat's milk cheeses were an exotic assortment. There were cut wheels of pale yellow hard cheese, tiny towers of creamy white cheese studded with raisins, circular varieties covered in green herbs and wrapped in chestnut leaves, and triangles and rectangles encased in dark ash and gray mold.
"The 'brain' is best," Newland decided, after tasting a cheese whose outside was covered with rivulets of gray mold that resembled a brain.
Domestic cheeses such as Cypress Grove Chevre were easy to pronounce, but imported European varieties such as the "brain" — actually called Coeur du Berry — didn't roll as easily off the tongue.
Since the tastings are held right at the deli case, "If someone is interested in something other than what we're tasting, I can get it and offer it to him or her," Hyde says.
To go with the goat cheese, there were Rosemont Australian red and white wines.
Cheeses and wines aren't purposely paired, and part of the adventure lies in finding out what complements what. For example, tasters pronounced one particular goat cheese somewhat ordinary by itself, and said the same for a certain wine, but the two together made for a "wow" of a whole new taste experience.
Accompanying the cheeses and wines on this particular Tuesday were spicy chicken wings and a hot cheesy pasta and veggie dip prepared by chef Scott Southworth. Sure enough, a conversation was soon going about cooking with goat's milk cheeses in addition to just enjoying them on crackers or with bread.
Hyde said, "Some people feel timid to ask about products they're unsure of, but in a tasting like this, everyone can sample. And, sampling is the conversation starter. We don't give a lecture. It's informal. We let people taste, and their questions guide what we say about the products."
Halderman said the whole experience was "great," adding, I would never have thought to ask about these cheeses or have known the differences between them if I hadn't come in tonight."
Hyde says the weekly tastings will continue indefinitely. "We have over 150 varieties of specialty cheeses, and there are hundreds in the world, so we won't lack for themes," he said.
The women were among the many enthusiasts taking in the weekly complimentary Tuesday evening wine and cheese tasting at the Gourmet Gallery shop in Havensight Mall.
A month ago, the food shop began hosting the tastings, which begin at 6 p.m., as a way to educate customers about less-familiar foods. "Cheese is something people are curious about, something they have an open mind about," event planner Bill Hyde said. "Customers have enjoyed tasting and learning about the different kinds of cheeses, types within a family, texture and quality differences."
Tastings have focused on cheddar and Swiss variations and, most recently, goat's milk varieties. Hyde arranges the displays with Roland Jarvis and Triston Baker, students from Charlotte Amalie and Ivanna Eudora Kean High Schools, respectively. The youths, who work part-time at the store, both are keen on careers in the culinary industry. They set out the cheeses an hour ahead of the event to allow them to warm to room temperature so the flavors can better be appreciated.
The 20-plus goat's milk cheeses were an exotic assortment. There were cut wheels of pale yellow hard cheese, tiny towers of creamy white cheese studded with raisins, circular varieties covered in green herbs and wrapped in chestnut leaves, and triangles and rectangles encased in dark ash and gray mold.
"The 'brain' is best," Newland decided, after tasting a cheese whose outside was covered with rivulets of gray mold that resembled a brain.
Domestic cheeses such as Cypress Grove Chevre were easy to pronounce, but imported European varieties such as the "brain" — actually called Coeur du Berry — didn't roll as easily off the tongue.
Since the tastings are held right at the deli case, "If someone is interested in something other than what we're tasting, I can get it and offer it to him or her," Hyde says.
To go with the goat cheese, there were Rosemont Australian red and white wines.
Cheeses and wines aren't purposely paired, and part of the adventure lies in finding out what complements what. For example, tasters pronounced one particular goat cheese somewhat ordinary by itself, and said the same for a certain wine, but the two together made for a "wow" of a whole new taste experience.
Accompanying the cheeses and wines on this particular Tuesday were spicy chicken wings and a hot cheesy pasta and veggie dip prepared by chef Scott Southworth. Sure enough, a conversation was soon going about cooking with goat's milk cheeses in addition to just enjoying them on crackers or with bread.
Hyde said, "Some people feel timid to ask about products they're unsure of, but in a tasting like this, everyone can sample. And, sampling is the conversation starter. We don't give a lecture. It's informal. We let people taste, and their questions guide what we say about the products."
Halderman said the whole experience was "great," adding, I would never have thought to ask about these cheeses or have known the differences between them if I hadn't come in tonight."
Hyde says the weekly tastings will continue indefinitely. "We have over 150 varieties of specialty cheeses, and there are hundreds in the world, so we won't lack for themes," he said.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OFFERS 2002 MINI-GRANTS
March 3, 2002 – The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands invites individuals and community organizations to apply for the foundation's 2002 mini-grants, which will be awarded to innovative programs that respond to the needs of children and families in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Now in its sixth year, the mini-grant program will award up to $20,000 in grants. Individual awards range from $250 to $1,000, said a release.
Any private group (i.e. school class or club, sports team, alumni group, etc.) or individual in the U.S. Virgin Islands may submit an application for the 2002 mini-grant program. Proposals will also be accepted from established non-profit organizations.
CFVI mini-grants are in keeping with the foundation's mission to support innovative programs that enhance the educational, physical, social, cultural, and environmental well being of children, youth and families in the Virgin Islands.
Applications for 2002 mini-grants are due Friday, April 12, 2002. To receive an application call the Community Foundation at 774-6031, or stop by the office at 38A Dronnigens Gade. Send E-mail requests to: kgutloff@cfvi.net.
Application forms are also available on St. Thomas at the Draughting Shaft, Havensight Mall. On St. Croix applications can be picked up at the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, 3009 Orange Grove, Suite 12.
In 2001 the foundation distributed a total of $30,000 in mini-grant awards to 46 community organizations.
Among the community programs receiving mini-grants in recent years: A Robotics Club at Alfredo Andrews Elementary School on St. Croix, a two-week sailing clinic sponsored by St. John's Kids and the Sea program, equipment and uniforms for the V.I. Junior Fire Fighters, after-school academic programs at St. Thomas Reformed Learning Center, equipment for the Blades Fencing Club, parenting workshops at the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, summer camp for the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, and a youth news club for the Marley Homes Tenant Council.
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands was established in 1990 to serve the children and families of the Virgin Islands.
The foundation has more than 20 funds created by individuals and businesses to support educational, environmental, social and cultural initiatives in the Virgin Islands. CFVI provides mini-grants to community organizations, distributes scholarships to area students, and publishes "Kids Count," a major study of children in the territory.
Now in its sixth year, the mini-grant program will award up to $20,000 in grants. Individual awards range from $250 to $1,000, said a release.
Any private group (i.e. school class or club, sports team, alumni group, etc.) or individual in the U.S. Virgin Islands may submit an application for the 2002 mini-grant program. Proposals will also be accepted from established non-profit organizations.
CFVI mini-grants are in keeping with the foundation's mission to support innovative programs that enhance the educational, physical, social, cultural, and environmental well being of children, youth and families in the Virgin Islands.
Applications for 2002 mini-grants are due Friday, April 12, 2002. To receive an application call the Community Foundation at 774-6031, or stop by the office at 38A Dronnigens Gade. Send E-mail requests to: kgutloff@cfvi.net.
Application forms are also available on St. Thomas at the Draughting Shaft, Havensight Mall. On St. Croix applications can be picked up at the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, 3009 Orange Grove, Suite 12.
In 2001 the foundation distributed a total of $30,000 in mini-grant awards to 46 community organizations.
Among the community programs receiving mini-grants in recent years: A Robotics Club at Alfredo Andrews Elementary School on St. Croix, a two-week sailing clinic sponsored by St. John's Kids and the Sea program, equipment and uniforms for the V.I. Junior Fire Fighters, after-school academic programs at St. Thomas Reformed Learning Center, equipment for the Blades Fencing Club, parenting workshops at the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, summer camp for the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, and a youth news club for the Marley Homes Tenant Council.
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands was established in 1990 to serve the children and families of the Virgin Islands.
The foundation has more than 20 funds created by individuals and businesses to support educational, environmental, social and cultural initiatives in the Virgin Islands. CFVI provides mini-grants to community organizations, distributes scholarships to area students, and publishes "Kids Count," a major study of children in the territory.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OFFERS 2002 MINI-GRANTS
March 3, 2002 – The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands invites individuals and community organizations to apply for the foundation's 2002 mini-grants, which will be awarded to innovative programs that respond to the needs of children and families in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Now in its sixth year, the mini-grant program will award up to $20,000 in grants. Individual awards range from $250 to $1,000, said a release.
Any private group (i.e. school class or club, sports team, alumni group, etc.) or individual in the U.S. Virgin Islands may submit an application for the 2002 mini-grant program. Proposals will also be accepted from established non-profit organizations.
CFVI mini-grants are in keeping with the foundation's mission to support innovative programs that enhance the educational, physical, social, cultural, and environmental well being of children, youth and families in the Virgin Islands.
Applications for 2002 mini-grants are due Friday, April 12, 2002. To receive an application call the Community Foundation at 774-6031, or stop by the office at 38A Dronnigens Gade. Send E-mail requests to: kgutloff@cfvi.net.
Application forms are also available on St. Thomas at the Draughting Shaft, Havensight Mall. On St. Croix applications can be picked up at the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, 3009 Orange Grove, Suite 12.
In 2001 the foundation distributed a total of $30,000 in mini-grant awards to 46 community organizations.
Among the community programs receiving mini-grants in recent years: A Robotics Club at Alfredo Andrews Elementary School on St. Croix, a two-week sailing clinic sponsored by St. John's Kids and the Sea program, equipment and uniforms for the V.I. Junior Fire Fighters, after-school academic programs at St. Thomas Reformed Learning Center, equipment for the Blades Fencing Club, parenting workshops at the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, summer camp for the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, and a youth news club for the Marley Homes Tenant Council.
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands was established in 1990 to serve the children and families of the Virgin Islands.
The foundation has more than 20 funds created by individuals and businesses to support educational, environmental, social and cultural initiatives in the Virgin Islands. CFVI provides mini-grants to community organizations, distributes scholarships to area students, and publishes "Kids Count," a major study of children in the territory.
Now in its sixth year, the mini-grant program will award up to $20,000 in grants. Individual awards range from $250 to $1,000, said a release.
Any private group (i.e. school class or club, sports team, alumni group, etc.) or individual in the U.S. Virgin Islands may submit an application for the 2002 mini-grant program. Proposals will also be accepted from established non-profit organizations.
CFVI mini-grants are in keeping with the foundation's mission to support innovative programs that enhance the educational, physical, social, cultural, and environmental well being of children, youth and families in the Virgin Islands.
Applications for 2002 mini-grants are due Friday, April 12, 2002. To receive an application call the Community Foundation at 774-6031, or stop by the office at 38A Dronnigens Gade. Send E-mail requests to: kgutloff@cfvi.net.
Application forms are also available on St. Thomas at the Draughting Shaft, Havensight Mall. On St. Croix applications can be picked up at the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, 3009 Orange Grove, Suite 12.
In 2001 the foundation distributed a total of $30,000 in mini-grant awards to 46 community organizations.
Among the community programs receiving mini-grants in recent years: A Robotics Club at Alfredo Andrews Elementary School on St. Croix, a two-week sailing clinic sponsored by St. John's Kids and the Sea program, equipment and uniforms for the V.I. Junior Fire Fighters, after-school academic programs at St. Thomas Reformed Learning Center, equipment for the Blades Fencing Club, parenting workshops at the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, summer camp for the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, and a youth news club for the Marley Homes Tenant Council.
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands was established in 1990 to serve the children and families of the Virgin Islands.
The foundation has more than 20 funds created by individuals and businesses to support educational, environmental, social and cultural initiatives in the Virgin Islands. CFVI provides mini-grants to community organizations, distributes scholarships to area students, and publishes "Kids Count," a major study of children in the territory.
JOGGER JAM TIME IS HERE
March 3, 2002 – Women's Jogger Jam time has arrived, and this year Therese Hodge of the St. Thomas Association of Roadrunners (STAR) wants to see 300 women out moving at 5 p.m. on the afternoon of Sunday, March 17.
Grandmas, walk the walk. Moms, bring the infants out in strollers. Serious athletes, beat your personal best from an earlier year.
The two-mile race starts and finishes in the Wheatley Shopping Center, winding around roads behind the hospital.
Three hundred would be a record number of walkers, joggers and runners; young, old and in between, for the annual St. Thomas race.
It's a chance for women to be "waited on" by the menfolk, as fellows who usually compete in races turn out in large numbers to hold traffic, give bullhorn instructions, blow the starting whistle promptly at 5 p.m., man the water stops, and tear off number tags at the finish line.
The fellows will pass out water, fruits, random prizes, recovery advice, T-shirts and awards at the end. The first 200 registered finishes will get a T-shirt, according to a release from STAR.
Early registration fee is $3 for youth 18 and under, $4 for STAR members, $5 adults; raceday it'll cost you $10. Register by March 16 during business hours at Fruit Bowl in Wheatley Center, Comfort Zone at Port of Sale Mall, Players in Havensight Mall, and Going Seanile downtown in Royal Dane Mall.
The Fruit Bowl will donate $5 to the Victim Advocates, Inc. for every registered finisher.
Parental consent on the registration form is required for all participants younger than 18 years old. And participants must wear their assigned race number on the front of their clothing.
Awards will be given to the top finisher overall, and to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in seven categories: age 12 and under, ages 13 to 18, ages 19 to 29, ages 30 to 39, ages 40-49, ages 50-59, and age 60 and over.
Grandmas, walk the walk. Moms, bring the infants out in strollers. Serious athletes, beat your personal best from an earlier year.
The two-mile race starts and finishes in the Wheatley Shopping Center, winding around roads behind the hospital.
Three hundred would be a record number of walkers, joggers and runners; young, old and in between, for the annual St. Thomas race.
It's a chance for women to be "waited on" by the menfolk, as fellows who usually compete in races turn out in large numbers to hold traffic, give bullhorn instructions, blow the starting whistle promptly at 5 p.m., man the water stops, and tear off number tags at the finish line.
The fellows will pass out water, fruits, random prizes, recovery advice, T-shirts and awards at the end. The first 200 registered finishes will get a T-shirt, according to a release from STAR.
Early registration fee is $3 for youth 18 and under, $4 for STAR members, $5 adults; raceday it'll cost you $10. Register by March 16 during business hours at Fruit Bowl in Wheatley Center, Comfort Zone at Port of Sale Mall, Players in Havensight Mall, and Going Seanile downtown in Royal Dane Mall.
The Fruit Bowl will donate $5 to the Victim Advocates, Inc. for every registered finisher.
Parental consent on the registration form is required for all participants younger than 18 years old. And participants must wear their assigned race number on the front of their clothing.
Awards will be given to the top finisher overall, and to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in seven categories: age 12 and under, ages 13 to 18, ages 19 to 29, ages 30 to 39, ages 40-49, ages 50-59, and age 60 and over.
IT'S TIME FOR THE WOMEN'S JOGGER JAM
March 3, 2002 – Ladies, girls, get ready for the Women's Jogger Jam 2002. All females are welcome to compete in the roadrace's seven categories, from 12 and under to 60 and over.
The Fruit Bowl will donate $5 to the Victim Advocates, Inc. for every registered finisher.
Early registration fee is $3 for youth 18 and under, $4 for STAR members, $5 adults; raceday it'll cost you $10. Register by March 16 during business hours at Fruit Bowl in Wheatley Center, Comfort Zone at Port of Sale Mall, Players in Havensight Mall, and Going Seanile downtown in Royal Dane Mall.
For more details see the story under Source section, Local sports.
The Fruit Bowl will donate $5 to the Victim Advocates, Inc. for every registered finisher.
Early registration fee is $3 for youth 18 and under, $4 for STAR members, $5 adults; raceday it'll cost you $10. Register by March 16 during business hours at Fruit Bowl in Wheatley Center, Comfort Zone at Port of Sale Mall, Players in Havensight Mall, and Going Seanile downtown in Royal Dane Mall.
For more details see the story under Source section, Local sports.
DON'T GO BACK FROM HOSPITAL SEMIAUTONOMY
Dear Source,
Re: Molly Morris' article, "Hospital Workers Say Complaints Are Ignored" dated 2/26/02:
I had the unique opportunity to work at the hospital a few years ago. Mr. Eugene Woods was the CEO at the time. Both Mr. Woods and Ms. Maureen Venzen, vice president of administration, were a pleasure to work with. Mr. Woods fought hard to achieve autonomy from government control. In August of 1999 semiautonomy was finally granted.
My primary health care experience is in small, medium, and large United States-based hospitals. The island facility is certainly at a disadvantage, compared to mainland hospitals, regarding resources and supplies.
When I arrived at the hospital in March 1999 it was still under complete government control. I was shocked at the poor conditions at the time.
Semiautonomy certainly has been helpful in a relatively short amount of time. Major improvements have been completed. Of course, more needs to be done. Health care is a constantly changing environment.
Not every employee is going to be happy in his or her workplace.
I hope that Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel does not seriously consider a return to more government control of the hospital.
Richard D. Borruso, M.S., R.Ph.
Chief Executive Officer
Hospital Pharmacy Consultants, Inc.
Toledo, OH
Re: Molly Morris' article, "Hospital Workers Say Complaints Are Ignored" dated 2/26/02:
I had the unique opportunity to work at the hospital a few years ago. Mr. Eugene Woods was the CEO at the time. Both Mr. Woods and Ms. Maureen Venzen, vice president of administration, were a pleasure to work with. Mr. Woods fought hard to achieve autonomy from government control. In August of 1999 semiautonomy was finally granted.
My primary health care experience is in small, medium, and large United States-based hospitals. The island facility is certainly at a disadvantage, compared to mainland hospitals, regarding resources and supplies.
When I arrived at the hospital in March 1999 it was still under complete government control. I was shocked at the poor conditions at the time.
Semiautonomy certainly has been helpful in a relatively short amount of time. Major improvements have been completed. Of course, more needs to be done. Health care is a constantly changing environment.
Not every employee is going to be happy in his or her workplace.
I hope that Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel does not seriously consider a return to more government control of the hospital.
Richard D. Borruso, M.S., R.Ph.
Chief Executive Officer
Hospital Pharmacy Consultants, Inc.
Toledo, OH
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.
DON'T GO BACK FROM HOSPITAL SEMIAUTONOMY
Dear Source,
Re: Molly Morris' article, "Hospital Workers Say Complaints Are Ignored" dated 2/26/02:
I had the unique opportunity to work at the hospital a few years ago. Mr. Eugene Woods was the CEO at the time. Both Mr. Woods and Ms. Maureen Venzen, vice president of administration, were a pleasure to work with. Mr. Woods fought hard to achieve autonomy from government control. In August of 1999 semiautonomy was finally granted.
My primary health care experience is in small, medium, and large United States-based hospitals. The island facility is certainly at a disadvantage, compared to mainland hospitals, regarding resources and supplies.
When I arrived at the hospital in March 1999 it was still under complete government control. I was shocked at the poor conditions at the time.
Semiautonomy certainly has been helpful in a relatively short amount of time. Major improvements have been completed. Of course, more needs to be done. Health care is a constantly changing environment.
Not every employee is going to be happy in his or her workplace.
I hope that Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel does not seriously consider a return to more government control of the hospital.
Richard D. Borruso, M.S., R.Ph.
Chief Executive Officer
Hospital Pharmacy Consultants Inc.
Toledo, OH
Re: Molly Morris' article, "Hospital Workers Say Complaints Are Ignored" dated 2/26/02:
I had the unique opportunity to work at the hospital a few years ago. Mr. Eugene Woods was the CEO at the time. Both Mr. Woods and Ms. Maureen Venzen, vice president of administration, were a pleasure to work with. Mr. Woods fought hard to achieve autonomy from government control. In August of 1999 semiautonomy was finally granted.
My primary health care experience is in small, medium, and large United States-based hospitals. The island facility is certainly at a disadvantage, compared to mainland hospitals, regarding resources and supplies.
When I arrived at the hospital in March 1999 it was still under complete government control. I was shocked at the poor conditions at the time.
Semiautonomy certainly has been helpful in a relatively short amount of time. Major improvements have been completed. Of course, more needs to be done. Health care is a constantly changing environment.
Not every employee is going to be happy in his or her workplace.
I hope that Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel does not seriously consider a return to more government control of the hospital.
Richard D. Borruso, M.S., R.Ph.
Chief Executive Officer
Hospital Pharmacy Consultants Inc.
Toledo, OH
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.
NEW LEARNING CENTER IS THE FRUIT OF MUCH LABOR
March 2, 2002 –– From the prayers to the songs to the speeches, every word at Saturday's dedication of the John's Folly Learning Institute on St. John celebrated the hard work that went into making the center a reality.
With John's Folly resident Alvis Christian in the lead, the residents turned the shell of what was previously the Horace Mann School into a bright, shiny structure. Since the school closed in the 1960s, the structure had stood open to hurricanes, vandals and animals. Then, in 1997, residents began by mucking out decades worth of animal manure and other debris. By 1998, with the building barely semi-usable, they began holding classes in marine science, gardening and other subjects for the area's children.
Aldria Wade, a member of the institute board of directors, said on Saturday that 66 students are enrolled in its programs today.
Work to rehabilitate the building proceeded with community labor until a $40,000 Community Development Block Grant enabled the residents to hire St. Thomas contractor Joey Vanterpool to install plumbing, electricity and other necessities. When the block grant money ran out in 2001, Christian said that Vanterpool agreed to finish the job but wait for his money until residents could raise it.
They have pledged the proceeds from many future food sales to pay off the bill. In fact, food sales paid for much of the materials used to make repairs.
While it is residents' hard work that made the institute happen, Christian said Saturday that all are welcome to use the facility. Perhaps the last line of the "Virgin Islands March" sums up the message sent out on Saturday: "Hold out a welcome for one and all," sang the nearly 100 people who gathered at this spot by the sea for the ceremony.
The community was listening. Moe Chabuz, a co-owner at Skinny Legs Bar and Restaurant in Coral Bay, said he planned to donate money raised at the annual Coral Bay Open in April to the institute. The rather madcap event is played on Coral Bay streets and yards to raise money for a different program every year.
From the oldest area resident to some of the youngest, they came on Saturday to browse through the rooms, to swap stories about the olden days when many of them attended school there, and to hear what the few politicians who attended the ceremony had to say.
"Mr. Christian had a dream," St. John Administrator Julien Harley said. He added that too often when efforts are made for St. John, they happen in Cruz Bay. That being the case, the residents of John's Folly, located between Coral Bay and Salt Pond on the island's southeast shore, decided to do it for themselves.
Delegate Donna Christian Christensen called it a bittersweet day, noting that earlier the Coral Bay community had come together for the funeral service of Doris Samuel. "We celebrated the life of a matriarch of the community," she said.
Christensen said the institute was the result of a village coming together to nurture its children. Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd, whose roots are in Coral Bay, called it a rebirth. Keynote speaker Guy Benjamin, a long-retired educator who taught at Horace Mann School in 1934, spoke about how small and close-knit the John's Folly community was in those days. "I expected to see changes take place, but I didn't expect to see this," he said, referring to revitalized building.
With John's Folly resident Alvis Christian in the lead, the residents turned the shell of what was previously the Horace Mann School into a bright, shiny structure. Since the school closed in the 1960s, the structure had stood open to hurricanes, vandals and animals. Then, in 1997, residents began by mucking out decades worth of animal manure and other debris. By 1998, with the building barely semi-usable, they began holding classes in marine science, gardening and other subjects for the area's children.
Aldria Wade, a member of the institute board of directors, said on Saturday that 66 students are enrolled in its programs today.
Work to rehabilitate the building proceeded with community labor until a $40,000 Community Development Block Grant enabled the residents to hire St. Thomas contractor Joey Vanterpool to install plumbing, electricity and other necessities. When the block grant money ran out in 2001, Christian said that Vanterpool agreed to finish the job but wait for his money until residents could raise it.
They have pledged the proceeds from many future food sales to pay off the bill. In fact, food sales paid for much of the materials used to make repairs.
While it is residents' hard work that made the institute happen, Christian said Saturday that all are welcome to use the facility. Perhaps the last line of the "Virgin Islands March" sums up the message sent out on Saturday: "Hold out a welcome for one and all," sang the nearly 100 people who gathered at this spot by the sea for the ceremony.
The community was listening. Moe Chabuz, a co-owner at Skinny Legs Bar and Restaurant in Coral Bay, said he planned to donate money raised at the annual Coral Bay Open in April to the institute. The rather madcap event is played on Coral Bay streets and yards to raise money for a different program every year.
From the oldest area resident to some of the youngest, they came on Saturday to browse through the rooms, to swap stories about the olden days when many of them attended school there, and to hear what the few politicians who attended the ceremony had to say.
"Mr. Christian had a dream," St. John Administrator Julien Harley said. He added that too often when efforts are made for St. John, they happen in Cruz Bay. That being the case, the residents of John's Folly, located between Coral Bay and Salt Pond on the island's southeast shore, decided to do it for themselves.
Delegate Donna Christian Christensen called it a bittersweet day, noting that earlier the Coral Bay community had come together for the funeral service of Doris Samuel. "We celebrated the life of a matriarch of the community," she said.
Christensen said the institute was the result of a village coming together to nurture its children. Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd, whose roots are in Coral Bay, called it a rebirth. Keynote speaker Guy Benjamin, a long-retired educator who taught at Horace Mann School in 1934, spoke about how small and close-knit the John's Folly community was in those days. "I expected to see changes take place, but I didn't expect to see this," he said, referring to revitalized building.
