March 2, 2002 – Outreach into the community is what the St. John School of the Arts has always been about, but for the next two weeks, it will be so even more than usual.
This week, the not-for-profit Cruz Bay school has two artists-in-residence — blues musician and band leader Corky Siegel and drummer Frank Donaldson, who is a member of Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues.
Next week, the arts school will be hosting the visit of Steven Lipman, assistant vice president for student enrollment at the Berklee School of Music in Boston.
All three visitors will be going into schools on St. Thomas and St. John to make presentations. Siegel and Donaldson will be conducting master classes and workshops, as well as dropping by night-time venues on St. John to critique live music at the invitation of the musicians. Lipman will be talking to students about higher education opportunities to pursue music studies — "for a career, or just … for personal pleasure," School of the Arts director Ruth "Sis" Frank said.
Siegel, who plays piano and harmonica and sings, and Donaldson have visited St. Thomas and St. John before as concert performers — both of them with Chamber Blues and Siegel also with the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band. They will give a public performance this time, too, as a duo, on Thursday night at the school.
Siegel co-founded the blues band with Schwall in the 1960s; he formed Chamber Blues in the 1980s, composing "classical blues" music for the unique chamber ensemble to play. Both nationally acclaimed groups remain much in demand for concerts today.
Donaldson, the Chamber Blues percussionist, was the drummer for 11 years with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. In addition to performing with Chamber Blues, he tours with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble and his own jazz group.
Lipman's visit also has a second purpose, Frank said. She would like to see the Berklee School "set up one of its satellite programs here out of the St. John School of the Arts. They have them all over the world, including Puerto Rico. He's coming here to investigate the possibility of doing that."
A satellite program would bring 10-day or two-week programs to the school each year that would be taught by Berklee faculty members, offering study in "instrumentals and vocals, for students and adults," she said.
Over the years, Berklee has been the professional training ground for a number of Virgin Islands music students who gone on to professional careers, including Reuben Rogers, Amin Gumbs, Rashawn Ross, Reginald Cyntje and Rudy Wells, the president of the St. John School of the Arts.
Frank said Siegel and Donaldson will visit La Tapa restaurant in Cruz Bay Monday night, then meet at the School of the Arts on Tuesday first with the Coral Bay School student body and then with band members and other interested students from Julius E. Sprauve School. On Wednesday afternoon, they will present a lecture and performance at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School at the invitation of music teachers Jo-Sandra James and Levy Farrell.
For their school visits, Donaldson "has invented a wonderful sticking technique that he's going to demonstrate while he's talking with the drummers, and Corky will be talking to everybody else," Frank said. Their lecture-demonstration presentations will be about "the joy of music — how to sing better, how to play better, how to do wonderful things and have a wonderful time doing it," she said.
Thursday's School of the Arts performance is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $20 for students, available at the door, with no advance sales.
Lipman is someone Frank has known for many years. "I saw him in New York last fall and said 'Will you come down?' and he said 'Sure,'" she related. "Warren Hendrickson on St. Thomas, whose son, DeShawn, is a student at Berklee now, and Rudy Wells will be taking him around to the schools."
They'll go to Charlotte Amalie High School on March 11 to meet with students of band director Georgia Francis and others interested in pursuing music careers. On March 13, they'll visit Eudora Kean, and they'll have other meetings with students on St. John. Frank said she is hoping visits also can be arranged to other schools at the invitation of their music departments.
For additional information about the Siegel-Donaldson residency or about Lipman's visit, call the School of the Arts at 779-4322 or Frank at 776-6777.

March 2, 2002 – The V.I. Carnival Committee has sent out a call for all former Princes and Princesses and Queens of Carnival.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, says a release from the Carnival Committee, there are "lots of exciting plans" which would include retired Carnival royalty.
It's a chance to be "Queen for a Day" or "Prince Charming" once again.
Please contact Francis Roberts at 774-1343 days or Lorna Webster at 776-3112.

March 2, 2002- The rumors are true! Pistarckle Theater has put together another winner in Neil Simon's "Rumors," a fast-paced trip through gossip, deceit, petty jealousy and plain slapstick.
Throw eight bizarre products of the late '80s into the less-than-fortunate position of covering up their host's apparent attempted suicide. Mix in towering ineptitude, utter gullibility, and spousal wrangling. Start whispering. There you have it: the beginning of a fine evening of comedy at the theater in Tillett Gardens.
Neil Simon, elder statesman of America's comedy playwrights, has always been criticized by the artistic establishment as a gag-man and little more, but I think that few people who get out to Pistarckle will find anything lacking in his script here. There is certainly a theme and a generous dollop of social commentary for those who care to take it in, but Simon is not about to bludgeon the audience with it. He is an acid-free Albee with far more laughs.
"Rumors" is right on the mark following on this season's earlier fine Pistarckle performances of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" and "You Can't Take It With You." Very much built on Laurel-and-Hardyesque timing, this latest production soars on the wings of a fantastic cast. Janet Mescus has a marvelous gift for confusion; Bill Mahoney is so immaculately over-caring and intrusive that he could pass for a high school guidance counselor; Dena Benson turns in another fine performance as a rather flighty and absent-minded cooking show host; veteran Randall Doty's small-time politician might well be one of our own august solons emerging from the Green Barn.
Thursday's "pay-as-you-can" pre-opening night performance saw the absence of house favorite Scottie Brower, cast as lawyer Ken Gorman. But director Jonn Jorgensen filled in with consummate skill. So much skill, in fact, that nothing seemed amiss at all until this reviewer took a long look at the credits in the playbill during intermission.
Chip Brookes and Rose Jensen delivered standout performances as Claire and Lenny Ganz. Their great interplay, his highly perturbed accountant/materialist to her wry, slightly passive-aggressive socialite made for quite the show in and of itself. Keep an eye on Jensen's facial expressions — there is a play written on her lips alone.
The uncredited set designer also deserves applause for a graphically appealing scene done in grey monochrome with pointed red accents. Take a few minutes beforehand to look it over and take in the little details — a really fine job has been done. And mind the doors; all six of them get well used.
In short, "Rumors" is quick, witty, well-acted and fun. Get your tickets while you can; nobody who calls St. Thomas or St. John home should miss this much melee.
The official "champagne opening" is Saturday night. There was no Friday performance because of the blues concert by Deborah Coleman and the Thrillseekers in Tillett Gardens. Curtain time is 8 p.m. with performances after Saturday to come on March 7-9, 14-16 and 21-23.
General admission tickets are $15 in advance and $19 at the door. There are special rates of $10 for students, $5 each for groups of 10 or more students, and $12 for school faculty and staff with I.D. Outlets are the American Yacht Harbor office, Bumpa's on the Waterfront, the Draughting Shaft, East End Secretarial Services, Flagship in Yacht Haven Marina, Marina Market and Tillett Gallery; charge card purchases can be arranged by calling the Pistarckle office, 775-7877.

Editor's note:Source reviewer Lane Sell is an Antilles School student.

March 2, 2002- The rumors are true! Pistarckle Theater has put together another winner in Neil Simon's "Rumors," a fast-paced trip through gossip, deceit, petty jealousy and plain slapstick.
Throw eight bizarre products of the late '80s into the less-than-fortunate position of covering up their host's apparent attempted suicide. Mix in towering ineptitude, utter gullibility, and spousal wrangling. Start whispering. There you have it: the beginning of a fine evening of comedy at the theater in Tillett Gardens.
Neil Simon, elder statesman of America's comedy playwrights, has always been criticized by the artistic establishment as a gag-man and little more, but I think that few people who get out to Pistarckle will find anything lacking in his script here. There is certainly a theme and a generous dollop of social commentary for those who care to take it in, but Simon is not about to bludgeon the audience with it. He is an acid-free Albee with far more laughs.
"Rumors" is right on the mark following on this season's earlier fine Pistarckle performances of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" and "You Can't Take It With You." Very much built on Laurel-and-Hardyesque timing, this latest production soars on the wings of a fantastic cast. Janet Mescus has a marvelous gift for confusion; Bill Mahoney is so immaculately over-caring and intrusive that he could pass for a high school guidance counselor; Dena Benson turns in another fine performance as a rather flighty and absent-minded cooking show host; veteran Randall Doty's small-time politician might well be one of our own august solons emerging from the Green Barn.
Thursday's "pay-as-you-can" pre-opening night performance saw the absence of house favorite Scottie Brower, cast as lawyer Ken Gorman. But director Jonn Jorgensen filled in with consummate skill. So much skill, in fact, that nothing seemed amiss at all until this reviewer took a long look at the credits in the playbill during intermission.
Chip Brookes and Rose Jensen delivered standout performances as Claire and Lenny Ganz. Their great interplay, his highly perturbed accountant/materialist to her wry, slightly passive-aggressive socialite made for quite the show in and of itself. Keep an eye on Jensen's facial expressions — there is a play written on her lips alone.
Set designer Pam Sullivan also deserves applause for a graphically appealing scene done in grey monochrome with pointed red accents. Take a few minutes beforehand to look it over and take in the little details — a really fine job has been done. And mind the doors; all six of them get well used.
In short, "Rumors" is quick, witty, well-acted and fun. Get your tickets while you can; nobody who calls St. Thomas or St. John home should miss this much melee.
The official "champagne opening" is Saturday night. There was no Friday performance because of the blues concert by Deborah Coleman and the Thrillseekers in Tillett Gardens. Curtain time is 8 p.m. with performances after Saturday to come on March 7-9, 14-16 and 21-23.
General admission tickets are $15 in advance and $19 at the door. There are special rates of $10 for students, $5 apiece for groups of 10 or more students, and $12 for school faculty and staff with I.D. Outlets are the American Yacht Harbor office, Bumpa's on the Waterfront, the Draughting Shaft, East End Secretarial Services, Flagship in Yacht Haven Marina, Marina Market and Tillett Gallery; charge card purchases can be arranged by calling the Pistarckle office, 775-7877.

Editor's note:Source reviewer Lane Sell is an Antilles School student.

March 2, 2002 – Frustration with the local government's failure to rein in a Coral Bay farmer who lets his goats run far and wide and with the government's inability to round up those that have gone wild topped the discussion at Saturday's St. John Community Foundation meeting in Coral Bay.
The meeting was called to distribute summaries of the Planning and Natural Resources Department's working document on a management plan for the Coral Bay area of particular concern.
The goat topic also had come up when PNR held a meeting on the APC management plan on Feb. 22. At that time, naturalist Eleanor Gibney said the goat population in St. John had tripled in the last 10 years.
Mary Blazine, executive director of the St. John Community Foundation, said that Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Raymond Thomas had told her he was willing to help get rid of the goats. However, over the last few years residents have made repeated pleas to Agriculture officials on St. Thomas as well as St. John, with no results.
Residents have been plagued with the goats devouring their plants, leaving fecal matter on their driveways and terrifying their household pets. As goats begat other goats, the hillsides above Coral Bay have come to serve as home to huge populations of the animals.
"We drove a herd of 30 of them down the hill the other day," Upper Carolina resident Ken Damon said.
Blazine, who lives at the far reaches of the East End, said she counted 35 along the road between her house and Vie's Snack Shack, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile.
Jeannie Williamson, who lives in Coral Bay, said she had nursed along some bird-of-paradise, or crab claw, plants next to her cistern. When the goats came along, "They ate them to the ground," she said.
Fencing would keep the goats out, but the steep terrain on the hillsides makes it a difficult and expensive proposition. Damon said he might build a 20-foot square enclosure, entice the goats in with water and grain, and then call the Agriculture Department to pick them up.
Blazine suggested that someone apply for a grant to develop a farm to produce goat milk, cheese and meat. "We have to come up with creative solutions. It's a matter of getting someone inspired," she said.
In discussing the main topic of the meeting, the APC management plan, Blazine said that lots of grant money is available for projects to better the community. She said the plan calls for the government and residents to work together, and "It's putting people in a proactive position."
She called on all Coral Bay residents and groups such as homeowner associations and the Coral Bay Yacht Club to let their views be known. The deadline is March 22 to comment on the proposals in the APC draft management plan. Comments in writing should be mailed to Bill Rohring, Planning and Natural Resources, Cyril E. King Airport, 2nd floor, St. Thomas 00802, or e-mailed to bill.rohring@noaa.gov. Rohring can be reached by telephone at 774-3320, ext. 5107.
The entire document is available for review at the Elaine Sprauve Library in Cruz Bay. A synopsis is available at Connections in Coral Bay.

The Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John will hold the first of its annual whale watches on Saturday March 9 and Sunday March 10.
Tickets for EAST Annual Whale Watch are $55 for non-members and $45 for members. They are available at Dockside Bookstore in Havensight Mall and East End Secretarial Service in Red Hook Plaza. For more information call 777-8633 or 777-5012.

March 3, 2002 – Gertrude Alethea Lockhart Melchior, also known as "Miss Gertrude," "Miss Dudley," and "Mrs. Melchior" was born on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1921, the third of four children born to Herbert E. Lockhart and Karen Ingeborg Lockhart (née Pedersen). She was christened at the Cathedral Church of All Saints, then the "Anglican Church on Garden Street," and there began a lifetime of devoted service to her God and her church. Her early education was at the nursery school commonly referred to as the "Nun's School" where she was taught by the nuns and deaconesses who ran the school. Mrs. Melchior attended local public schools, graduating from Charlotte Amalie High School in 1940.
Upon graduation from high school she attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics in 1944. While at Howard, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and remained a faithful and active alumna of her sorority and the St. Thomas chapter of AKA her entire life. Upon her return from college she accepted a position at the Charlotte Amalie High School and taught home economics to students in grades seven through twelve.
In 1948 she married prominent attorney George H.T. Dudley (now deceased) with whom she had two children: George H.T. Dudley, Jr., an attorney, and G. Rita Dudley Grant, Ph.D., a practicing psychologist.
From 1952 to 1957 Mrs. Melchior served as the first principal of All Saints Anglican School. She recalled with pride hiring a young lady by the name of Louise Smith to be the school's first grade teacher. That young lady, now, Louise Brady, became Mrs. Melchior's protégée and is today the principal of All Saints Cathedral School.
In 1957 Mrs. Melchior left education and school administration to enter the Lockhart family business. She was elected Vice President of A.H. Lockhart & Co., the parent company founded on the business enterprises of her grandfather, Alfred Harris Lockhart, and became manager of Lockhart's Grand Gift Shop located in the Grand Hotel. When the Grand Gift Shop closed in 1968, she continued to be involved with the family's business as vice president of A.H. Lockhart & Co. and H.E. Lockhart Development Corporation and their successor entities until 1987. She served as a distinguished member of the Board of Directors of Lockhart Companies Inc. until she retired in 1996. At the time of her death, Mrs. Melchior was the single largest shareholder in Lockhart Companies Inc., a diversified holding company with interests in real estate, insurance and financial services.
On July 23, 1975, Mrs. Melchior married Ariel A. Melchior, Sr., who founded The Daily News and remained its publisher until it was sold to Gannett Corporation in 1978. The Melchiors' enduring relationship served as a model of marital devotion to the younger members of the family.
A woman of many and varied interests, Mrs. Melchior traveled extensively and excelled in painting, ceramics, and, her personal favorite, the culinary arts. Over the years, she enjoyed a celebrated reputation for making elaborate wedding cakes. Several chefs and bakers — both local and stateside – spent time in Mrs. Melchior's kitchen in Estate Thomas learning some of the finer points of their trade.
Although a busy career woman, Mrs. Melchior always made time for her family. She took a direct personal interest in the education of her two children, teaching them the value of trying their best at any undertaking. When her sister, Karen Lockhart Peterson, died at an early age, Mrs. Melchior had a hand in the rearing of her sister's three children. Even though her mother, "Miss Inga," was blinded by glaucoma for much of her adult life, Mrs. Melchior made sure that Miss Inga was able to attend church every Sunday and visit the gravesite of Mrs. Melchior's father.
Mrs. Melchior's brother, Herbert E. Lockhart, Jr. — affectionately called Junior throughout his life – served as president of The Lockhart Companies from 1949 until shortly before his death in 1991. Both a close friend and advisor to her brother, Mrs. Melchior was a moving force behind the decision of The Lockhart Companies to convey to the Government of the Virgin Islands the land on which the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital is constructed. She also was an integral part of the decision by the Lockhart Family to gift to the Episcopal Diocese the land on which St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and Parish Hall are located in Estate Thomas.
In more recent years, the primary focus of Mrs. Melchior's family life were her grandchildren, twins Beryl and B.J. Dudley and Megan Grant. Having successfully raised her own children, she felt a special obligation to see that her grandchildren were grounded in the same values that guided her life.
Above all, the hallmark of this remarkable woman's life was her unwavering commitment to community service. Anywhere that she could help to make the Virgin Islands a better place to live, she was there. In any way that she could make a positive difference in the lives of the residents of the community, she offered assistance. Any time a community organization requested her assistance, be it the use of her home, a dish for a food sale, a gift from her store for a fund-raiser, or simply additional woman-power, her answer was invariably positive.
The list of her service to the Virgin Islands community is long and spans her entire lifetime. As a child she was a member of the Junior Altar Guild of All Saints Church. For years on Saturdays she spent a good part of the afternoon at All Saints polishing the brass for church services the next day. As a member of the Guild she sewed vestments, altar cloths and other items for the church. She also helped make baby gowns, diapers, bibs and towels for the municipal hospital.
As a young adult she worked with Ron DeLugo to re-establish St. Thomas Carnival. She served for many years on the St. Thomas Carnival Committee and later as a judge of numerous Carnival Queen competitions and other talent shows. She was a founding member of the Gypsy Carnival Troupe, the only organization that has continuously participated in Carnival since its revival in 1952. Regarded as the First Lady of Carnival, the "Mistress of Mas," one of the highlights of each year's carnival parade was the appearance of Mrs. Melchior on the Gypsy Troupe float lighting up the parade with a fabulous costume and her spectacular smile.
For many years, Mrs. Melchior brought her leadership skills to the Community Chest and served as one of the key organizers of its principal fund-raising event, the annual Community Chest Telethon. When the Community Chest became today's United Way of St. Thomas-St. John, Mrs. Melchior was one of the United Way's first officers and served for several years on its Board of Directors.
Mrs. Melchior was a member of and a leader in the Business and Professional Women's Association, the League of Women Voters, Rotary Inner Wheel, the Gift and Fashion Shop Association, Virgin Islands Girl Scouts Council, Partners for Health, and others. She served as a volunteer cooking for the USO and teaching ceramics to senior citizens at the Rotary Senior Citizens Center. For many years she was a member of the Board of Directors of Bluebeard's Housing Corporation and of the Magens Bay Authority. Mrs. Melchior also served several terms as an elected member of the Virgin Islands Board of Elections.
For her community service Mrs. Melchior twice was honored by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands and had a public street named after her.
A victim of Alzheimer's Disease in the final years of her life, even as she was gradually robbed her of cognitive ability, it did not destroy her indomitably warm and engaging personality. Despite her failing health, Mrs. Melchior would have been the first to tell you that she had a blessed and wonderful life.
Mrs. Melchior, died February 27, 2002, at the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital. She is survived by her husband, Ariel A. Melchior, Sr.; two children, George H.T. Dudley and G. Rita Dudley Grant; seven step-children, Ariel Melchior Jr., Earl Melchior, Valerie Wade, Marjorie Preston, Rita Watley, Norma Gomez and Laurel Melchior; three grandchildren, Beryl B. Dudley, Benjamin J. Dudley and Megan A. Grant; three step-grandchildren, R. Damien Grant, Stacy M. Grant and Jeremy Grant; sisters-in-law, Corinne S. Lockhart and Marjorie S. Petersen; daughter-in-law, Susan Laura Lugo; son-in-law, Richard E.W. Grant; nieces, Kathleen P. Goldberg, Karen H. Williams, Catherine L. Mills and Beryl P. Haygood; nephews, Kaj H. Petersen, Dale St. C. Garee, William H. Hastie, Jr., Herbert E. Lockhart, III, Ronald S. Lockhart and Henrik A. Lockhart; the families of Alfred H. Lockhart, Jr., Violet Kirketerp, Blanche Barbel and Osee Nicholson; the members of the Gypsy Troupe, and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Estate Thomas on Saturday, March 9, 2002 at 9:30 a.m. The viewing will be at John Thomas Memorial Chapel on Friday evening, March 8, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Out of respect for her religious devotion and in observance of Lent, Mrs. Melchior's family requests that, in lieu of flowers, a contribution be made in her memory to the Karen Ingeborg Lockhart Foundation, or to the United Way of St. Thomas-St. John, addressed to P.O. Box 717, St. Thomas, VI 00804.

March 1, 2002 – The Enighed Pond commercial port project could be completed by the end of 2003, Port Authority planner Darlan Brin said Friday at a meeting of the Rotary Club of St. John.
"I hope the next time I come back, the project is started," he said, drawing laughter from the 16 people attending the meeting at the Westin Resort. The project, which is expected to help relieve the massive traffic congestion that plagues Cruz Bay, has been in the works for more than 30 years.
Brin said the Federal Highway Administration gave its approval on Jan. 10 for the territory to use GARVEE bonds to fund the project. He provided copies of a letter from FHA division administrator J. Don Martinez to Public Works Commissioner Wayne Callwood stating the FHA's approval of floating bonds worth $21.2 million for the Enighed Pond project and $3.3 million for passenger terminal and cargo facility improvements at Red Hook on St. Thomas.
The Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles, or GARVEE bonds, allow the government to start the project without the money in hand because it will pay the principal and associated costs of the bond out of the yearly $12.5 million the government gets from the Federal Highway Administration.
The FHA imposed some conditions in approving the use of GARVEE bonds, including a revision in the "request for proposal" forms. However, Brin said he does not expect the FHA to cause any delay in the project. He said he anticipates that the requests for proposals will go out within the next couple of months. The successful bidder will have a year and a half in which to complete the project, which is termed "design/build," meaning the same company that designs the project will build it.
Preliminary work on the project has already begun. A Port Authority contractor has transplanted 10 percent of the coral growing in an area that needs to be dredged in order to create a channel at the mouth of Enighed Pond, Brin said. "Once that's successful, the remaining corals will be moved," he said.
According to Brin, similar transplant projects have had a 90 percent success rate, and one undertaken at the Ann Abramson Pier in Frederiksted was 99 percent successful.
Creating the channel also will involve removing a berm at the mouth of the pond which currently allows only a minimal amount of water to flow into the pond.
A few of the Rotary members and guests had questions for Brin at the end of his presentation.
Doug White asked whether the road improvement project would be completed at the same time as the commercial port project. Brin did not have a concrete answer, but he said that if commercial port activity moves from the Creek to the other side of Cruz Bay at Enighed Pond, road improvements will be necessary. The access road will run up past the public tennis courts and the fire station to intersect with Route 104 near the Texaco gas station.
The Port Authority plans to have all freight activities, including vehicular barges, enter and leave St. John through Enighed Pond, freeing up the Creek for other uses. "We'll come up with a plan for the reuse of the Creek," Brin said.
Rotary guest Bob Carney suggested that boats visiting St. John from the British Virgin Islands be allowed to tie up to the Creek bulkhead so their passengers could shop in Cruz Bay. "There's a tremendous demand," he said.
Planning for the Enighed project began in 1971. In 1985, the Port Authority anticipated that it would cost about $4 million and was expecting to start construction by the end of that year. However, numerous obstacles stood in the way, including a wrangle between the V.I. government and the Port Authority over ownership of the land that was decided by the Legislature in favor of the Port Authority.
Once that was resolved, the Port Authority in 1989 secured the required Coastal Zone Management permit, which was subsequently extended multiple times. Meantime, in took several years for the authority to secure the required U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, which is valid until Nov. 3, 2004. The project now is expected to cost $16 million.

March 1, 2002 – The Enighed Pond commercial port project could be completed by the end of 2003, Port Authority planner Darlan Brin said Friday at a meeting of the Rotary Club of St. John.
"I hope the next time I come back, the project is started," he said, drawing laughter from the 16 people attending the meeting at the Westin Resort. The project, which is expected to help relieve the massive traffic congestion that plagues Cruz Bay, has been in the works for more than 30 years.
Brin said the Federal Highway Administration gave its approval on Jan. 10 for the territory to use GARVEE bonds to fund the project. He provided copies of a letter from FHA division administrator J. Don Martinez to Public Works Commissioner Wayne Callwood stating the FHA's approval of floating bonds worth $21.2 million for the Enighed Pond project and $3.3 million for passenger terminal and cargo facility improvements at Red Hook on St. Thomas.
The Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles, or GARVEE bonds, allow the government to start the project without the money in hand because it will pay the principal and associated costs of the bond out of the yearly $12.5 million the government gets from the Federal Highway Administration.
The FHA imposed some conditions in approving the use of GARVEE bonds, including a revision in the "request for proposal" forms. However, Brin said he does not expect the FHA to cause any delay in the project. He said he anticipates that the requests for proposals will go out within the next couple of months. The successful bidder will have a year and a half in which to complete the project, which is termed "design/build," meaning the same company that designs the project will build it.
Preliminary work on the project has already begun. A Port Authority contractor has transplanted 10 percent of the coral growing in an area that needs to be dredged in order to create a channel at the mouth of Enighed Pond, Brin said. "Once that's successful, the remaining corals will be moved," he said.
According to Brin, similar transplant projects have had a 90 percent success rate, and one undertaken at the Ann Abramson Pier in Frederiksted was 99 percent successful.
Creating the channel also will involve removing a berm at the mouth of the pond which currently allows only a minimal amount of water to flow into the pond.
A few of the Rotary members and guests had questions for Brin at the end of his presentation.
Doug White asked whether the road improvement project would be completed at the same time as the commercial port project. Brin did not have a concrete answer, but he said that if commercial port activity moves from the Creek to the other side of Cruz Bay at Enighed Pond, road improvements will be necessary. The access road will run up past the public tennis courts and the fire station to intersect with Route 104 near the Texaco gas station.
The Port Authority plans to have all freight activities, including vehicular barges, enter and leave St. John through Enighed Pond, freeing up the Creek for other uses. "We'll come up with a plan for the reuse of the Creek," Brin said.
Rotary guest Bob Carney suggested that boats visiting St. John from the British Virgin Islands be allowed to tie up to the Creek bulkhead so their passengers could shop in Cruz Bay. "There's a tremendous demand," he said.
Planning for the Enighed project began in 1971. In 1985, the Port Authority anticipated that it would cost about $4 million and was expecting to start construction by the end of that year. However, numerous obstacles stood in the way, including a wrangle between the V.I. government and the Port Authority over ownership of the land that was decided by the Legislature in favor of the Port Authority.
Once that was resolved, the Port Authority in 1989 secured the required Coastal Zone Management permit, which was subsequently extended multiple times. Meantime, in took several years for the authority to secure the required U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, which is valid until Nov. 3, 2004. The project now is expected to cost $16 million.

March 1, 2002 – Carnival parade applications which have been available at the Carnival headquarters starting March 12, must be submitted by today.
More information is available from the Carnival Committee office at 776-3112 or Lesmore Howard, parade committee chairman, evenings at 776-8819.