Oct. 31, 2001 – Gallery Gia, opening this week in Christiansted, promises to be an interesting and innovative addition to the art community on St. Croix. With an emphasis on the work of Caribbean artists, Gallery Gia hopes to introduce to St. Croix new talent not typically represented here.
Galley Gia offers a new venue for local artists to show their work, as well as a place for people to see exciting and unfamiliar paintings, pottery, sculpture, and glasswork.
Three friends, all full-time residents of St. Croix, conceived the idea for Gallery Gia. Wendy Solomon’s interest in cultural activities on St. Croix, and her fond reminiscences of afternoons spent at art museums and galleries back in New York City, led her to approach boyfriend Tom Rodenhaver with the idea of opening a gallery.
Tom, who agreed there were many more artists than exhibit spaces available, supplied the perfect venue: An 18th century Danish townhouse in the heart of downtown Christiansted.
Their friend, artist Deborah Broad, having for years admired the building with the same vision, came aboard enthusiastically.
It was their collective feeling that the gallery would complement other local venues by introducing new paintings, sculpture and craftwork. Deborah’s painting studio shares the space and as resident artist, she will manage the gallery as well.
Throughout the season, Gallery Gia hopes to collaborate with other galleries and artists for ongoing shows and events that will invigorate and strengthen the presence of Caribbean art in the Virgin Islands. A great local resource is the new directory, "St. Croix Art & Artists," a free brochure available at Gallery Gia and many other locations throughout the island.
Gallery Gia opens for business on Nov. 1. Hours are Monday-Saturday 10-5, and Sundays 10-2. A grand opening reception is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16. All are welcome. For more information, log onto www.gallerygia.com or call the gallery at 340-713-9880. Gallery Gia is located at 5A King Street, Christiansted, across from the library and above the Bombay Club restaurant.
COMMITTEE TO SUBPOENA LUIS HOSPITAL CEO
Oct. 31, 2001 — Members of the Senate Finance Committee voted to subpoena Thomas Robinson, chief executive officer of Juan F. Luis Hospital, to their next meeting after he failed to appear at Tuesday's hearing on St. Croix.
The committee chair, Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, called the meeting after Robinson announced in mid-October that significant staffing and care cuts would occur at the hospital because of budget reductions. Earlier in the month, hospital officials announced that the number of beds would be reduced because of a personnel shortage. In addition, they blamed budget reductions, which they said have resulted in the elimination of about 50 positions in the last two years, for another 62 positions being cut.
Hansen was adamant that her committee did not reduce the hospital’s budget. In fact, she said, the $16.8 million appropriated for the hospital was more than had been recommended by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull in his proposed Fiscal Year 2002 budget.
"Not one position for any health provider was reduced: not one physician, not one technician, not one nurse," Hansen said. "All of the positions that came down with the budget were left intact."
Under questioning, Nellon Bowry, the hospital’s chief financial officer, told senators that government funding has dropped each fiscal year since 1999. The hospital received $21.2 million that year, $18.9 million in 2000 and $16.5 in 2001. For Fiscal Year 2002, it is slated to receive $16.8 million.
Hansen blasted Robinson for not showing up at the meeting and for stating publicly earlier in the month that hospital services would be cut because of budget reductions prompted by the 24th Legislature. She said she "resented" Robinson's having "the nerve to lie and make this community feel uncomfortable."
Hansen said that before Tuesday’s hearing she had been told "off the record" by hospital officials that Robinson "would find an excuse not to attend" in order to avoid having to answer questions.
Bowry said Robinson told him Monday afternoon that he would not be able to attend the hearing because of a "personal emergency."
The committee members present voted 6-1 to subpoena Robinson to appear at their next meeting, which has yet to be scheduled.
"He couldn’t come here to prove a lie, a big lie, an unfortunate lie," Hansen said.
Dr. Dante Galiber, president of the hospital medical staff, testified that past budget cuts had hurt staffing and service at the hospital. He said a shortage of nurses has, among other things, decreased the number of elective surgeries performed and reduced the number of beds in the intensive care unit from six to five.
"It is a challenge to the physicians and nurses to provide quality health care," Galiber said. "The hospital and the government need to augment staff salaries."
Darice Plaskett, the hospital's vice president for nursing services, had said in an earlier Finance Committee hearing that there was a need for 66 registered nurses, 46 licensed practical nurses, 29 certified nursing assistants, 13 unit secretaries, two clinical care coordinators and one head nurse. She said a critical shortage of nurses on the mainland is affecting the situation in the territory, particularly when other jurisdictions can offer signing bonuses of $3,000 to $10,000.
On Tuesday, Plaskett said nursing staff shortages are taking a toll. "As a result, the staff is burned out," she said.
The committee chair, Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, called the meeting after Robinson announced in mid-October that significant staffing and care cuts would occur at the hospital because of budget reductions. Earlier in the month, hospital officials announced that the number of beds would be reduced because of a personnel shortage. In addition, they blamed budget reductions, which they said have resulted in the elimination of about 50 positions in the last two years, for another 62 positions being cut.
Hansen was adamant that her committee did not reduce the hospital’s budget. In fact, she said, the $16.8 million appropriated for the hospital was more than had been recommended by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull in his proposed Fiscal Year 2002 budget.
"Not one position for any health provider was reduced: not one physician, not one technician, not one nurse," Hansen said. "All of the positions that came down with the budget were left intact."
Under questioning, Nellon Bowry, the hospital’s chief financial officer, told senators that government funding has dropped each fiscal year since 1999. The hospital received $21.2 million that year, $18.9 million in 2000 and $16.5 in 2001. For Fiscal Year 2002, it is slated to receive $16.8 million.
Hansen blasted Robinson for not showing up at the meeting and for stating publicly earlier in the month that hospital services would be cut because of budget reductions prompted by the 24th Legislature. She said she "resented" Robinson's having "the nerve to lie and make this community feel uncomfortable."
Hansen said that before Tuesday’s hearing she had been told "off the record" by hospital officials that Robinson "would find an excuse not to attend" in order to avoid having to answer questions.
Bowry said Robinson told him Monday afternoon that he would not be able to attend the hearing because of a "personal emergency."
The committee members present voted 6-1 to subpoena Robinson to appear at their next meeting, which has yet to be scheduled.
"He couldn’t come here to prove a lie, a big lie, an unfortunate lie," Hansen said.
Dr. Dante Galiber, president of the hospital medical staff, testified that past budget cuts had hurt staffing and service at the hospital. He said a shortage of nurses has, among other things, decreased the number of elective surgeries performed and reduced the number of beds in the intensive care unit from six to five.
"It is a challenge to the physicians and nurses to provide quality health care," Galiber said. "The hospital and the government need to augment staff salaries."
Darice Plaskett, the hospital's vice president for nursing services, had said in an earlier Finance Committee hearing that there was a need for 66 registered nurses, 46 licensed practical nurses, 29 certified nursing assistants, 13 unit secretaries, two clinical care coordinators and one head nurse. She said a critical shortage of nurses on the mainland is affecting the situation in the territory, particularly when other jurisdictions can offer signing bonuses of $3,000 to $10,000.
On Tuesday, Plaskett said nursing staff shortages are taking a toll. "As a result, the staff is burned out," she said.
P.R. ORCHESTRA RETURNING TO REICHHOLD SATURDAY
Oct. 30, 2001 – There's no doubt "the third time will be the charm" when the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra performs in concert Saturday night at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on St. Thomas. "No doubt" because its visits last year and the year before were crowd pleasers played to a full house.
That's in no small part because the appearance of an 85-member symphony orchestra is an exceptional event on an island where even a chamber ensemble has to import its strings. But it's also because Puerto Rico's government-supported, full-time professional orchestra is highly regarded in circles that extend far beyond the Caribbean.
Two years ago, the Birch Forum co-sponsored the orchestra's first appearance on St. Thomas in two decades. Last November, it did the same, for a memorable evening in which the Territorial Court Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra joined the classical musicians onstage for the Overture from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville."
This third time, again co-sponsored by the Birch Forum, the orchestra will open with the Overture from Hector Berlioz' "Le Corsair" — that "impetuous, piratical, stormy, brilliant, pictorial" music of lordly, leaping premier danceurs. The second piece on the first half of the program is Johannes Brahms' well-known "Double" Concerto in A minor, Op. 102, featuring violinist Dara Burkholder and cellist Jesus Morales as guest soloists. Following the intermission, the program will conclude with Antonin Dvorak's tribute to America's Negro and Native American folk melodies, the Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 ("From the New World").
To Cornelius Prior, president of the Birch Forum, one of the appeals of the program is the "magnificent contrast in musical styles" between the exuberance of "Le Corsair" and the lyrical romanticism of the "New World" symphony.
Another attraction for many will be an opportunity to see the orchestra's new music director, Guillermo Figueroa, one of the hottest baton properties around, in action. It was just in August that Figueroa became the first native Puerto Rican to hold that position, after having served as the orchestra's principal guest conductor. Three months earlier, he was named music director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Meantime, he continues to call New York City home — where he lives with his wife and three daughters and is concertmaster of the New York City Ballet as well as one of the rotating concertmasters for the world-renowned Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Just a week ago, The New York Times profiled Figueroa in an article which quoted the maestro as saying that, for the foreseeable future, "I will be living on an airplane." He was in Albuquerque in September to open the symphony season and is commuting to conduct the Puerto Rico Symphony until mid-November, then heading to New York for a recording session and part of City Ballet's "Nutcracker" run, then will return to New Mexico in mid-December for a weekend, and so on and so on.
"It's easier to do than people think," he was quoted as saying. "Airports are calm, and there's so much increased security. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it."
As for the orchestra itself, it credibility is well established with St. Thomas audiences. Source reviewer Roger Lakins was hard pressed to find anything to complain about in last year's performance (he settled for a lack of program notes), writing: "the Puerto Rico Symphony has become a world-class orchestra with musically inspired leadership and absolutely first-class performers in all divisions."
Further, Lakins wrote, the orchestra's musicians collectively "have the silky quality of string tone. They have the purity of intonation. They have a brass section that can give you goosebumps. They have bassoons that make you close your eyes and wish you could lock that beautiful sound in your head to draw upon when needed in the future. What about the percussion? They're from Puerto Rico, for crying out loud. They can be so subtle that you wonder whether you really hear them or just feel them. They can also scare you like an earthquake … They have master teachers seated with their students who have become their colleagues, and they bring to life great music as a body with a real heart."
The orchestra was begun at the urging of legendary cellist Pablo Casals in 1957, the year the Casals Festival also made its debut. During its 48-week season, it performs for symphonic concerts, operas, ballets, and pops, community and children's concerts.
Saturday's program begins at 8 p.m. At $60 a pop, the covered-section seats are sold out, but tickets are available for $30 in the lower tiers of open seating and for $5 in the upper rows. To purchase tickets by charge card or to obtain information on ticket outlets, call the Reichhold box office at 693-1559 between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. To order tickets online or by printing out a form you can fax to the box office with credit-card information, visit the Reichhold Center web site. The site also has information about discount options available to season subscribers. Saturday's concert is the second of the season, and it's not too late to put together ticket packages.
That's in no small part because the appearance of an 85-member symphony orchestra is an exceptional event on an island where even a chamber ensemble has to import its strings. But it's also because Puerto Rico's government-supported, full-time professional orchestra is highly regarded in circles that extend far beyond the Caribbean.
Two years ago, the Birch Forum co-sponsored the orchestra's first appearance on St. Thomas in two decades. Last November, it did the same, for a memorable evening in which the Territorial Court Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra joined the classical musicians onstage for the Overture from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville."
This third time, again co-sponsored by the Birch Forum, the orchestra will open with the Overture from Hector Berlioz' "Le Corsair" — that "impetuous, piratical, stormy, brilliant, pictorial" music of lordly, leaping premier danceurs. The second piece on the first half of the program is Johannes Brahms' well-known "Double" Concerto in A minor, Op. 102, featuring violinist Dara Burkholder and cellist Jesus Morales as guest soloists. Following the intermission, the program will conclude with Antonin Dvorak's tribute to America's Negro and Native American folk melodies, the Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 ("From the New World").
To Cornelius Prior, president of the Birch Forum, one of the appeals of the program is the "magnificent contrast in musical styles" between the exuberance of "Le Corsair" and the lyrical romanticism of the "New World" symphony.
Another attraction for many will be an opportunity to see the orchestra's new music director, Guillermo Figueroa, one of the hottest baton properties around, in action. It was just in August that Figueroa became the first native Puerto Rican to hold that position, after having served as the orchestra's principal guest conductor. Three months earlier, he was named music director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Meantime, he continues to call New York City home — where he lives with his wife and three daughters and is concertmaster of the New York City Ballet as well as one of the rotating concertmasters for the world-renowned Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Just a week ago, The New York Times profiled Figueroa in an article which quoted the maestro as saying that, for the foreseeable future, "I will be living on an airplane." He was in Albuquerque in September to open the symphony season and is commuting to conduct the Puerto Rico Symphony until mid-November, then heading to New York for a recording session and part of City Ballet's "Nutcracker" run, then will return to New Mexico in mid-December for a weekend, and so on and so on.
"It's easier to do than people think," he was quoted as saying. "Airports are calm, and there's so much increased security. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it."
As for the orchestra itself, it credibility is well established with St. Thomas audiences. Source reviewer Roger Lakins was hard pressed to find anything to complain about in last year's performance (he settled for a lack of program notes), writing: "the Puerto Rico Symphony has become a world-class orchestra with musically inspired leadership and absolutely first-class performers in all divisions."
Further, Lakins wrote, the orchestra's musicians collectively "have the silky quality of string tone. They have the purity of intonation. They have a brass section that can give you goosebumps. They have bassoons that make you close your eyes and wish you could lock that beautiful sound in your head to draw upon when needed in the future. What about the percussion? They're from Puerto Rico, for crying out loud. They can be so subtle that you wonder whether you really hear them or just feel them. They can also scare you like an earthquake … They have master teachers seated with their students who have become their colleagues, and they bring to life great music as a body with a real heart."
The orchestra was begun at the urging of legendary cellist Pablo Casals in 1957, the year the Casals Festival also made its debut. During its 48-week season, it performs for symphonic concerts, operas, ballets, and pops, community and children's concerts.
Saturday's program begins at 8 p.m. At $60 a pop, the covered-section seats are sold out, but tickets are available for $30 in the lower tiers of open seating and for $5 in the upper rows. To purchase tickets by charge card or to obtain information on ticket outlets, call the Reichhold box office at 693-1559 between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. To order tickets online or by printing out a form you can fax to the box office with credit-card information, visit the Reichhold Center web site. The site also has information about discount options available to season subscribers. Saturday's concert is the second of the season, and it's not too late to put together ticket packages.
NCAA BASKEBALL TOURNEY SET FOR NOVEMBER
All games will be played at the
University of the Virgin Islands
Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas.
Nov. 17, 2001
6:30 p.m. University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) vs Eastern Michigan (Men)
8:30 p.m. Clemson vs Morris Brown (Men)
Nov. 18, 2001
4:00 p.m. Florida State vs St. Mary's (Women)
6:30 p.m. LaSalle vs Morris Brown (Men)
9:00 p.m. Miami vs Eastern Michigan (Men)
Nov. 19, 2001
4:00 p.m. Dayton vs St. Mary's (Women)
6:30 p.m. Clemson vs LaSalle (Men)
9:00 p.m. Miami vs UAB (Men)
Nov. 20, 2001
1:30 p.m. Morris Brown vs #3 (Men)
4:00 p.m. Florida State vs Dayton (Women)
6:30 p.m. #2 vs #2 of each bracket (Women)
9:00 p.m. #1 vs #1 of each bracket (Women)
Nov. 24, 2001
1:30 p.m. Wisconsin vs Texas (Women)
4:00 p.m. Florida vs USC (Women)
6:30 p.m. Arizona State vs Western Michigan (Women)
9:00 p.m. Kansas State vs Richmond (Women)
Nov. 25, 2001
1:30 p.m. Kansas State University vs WMU (Women)
4:00 p.m. Arizona State University vs Richmond (Women)
6:30 p.m. Wisconsin/Texas winner vs Florida/USC loser (Women)
9:00 p.m. Florida/USC winner vs Wisconsin/Texas winner (Women)
Nov. 26, 2001
10:00 a.m. ASU vs Kansas State (Women)
12:30 p.m. Richmond vs WMU (Women)
University of the Virgin Islands
Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas.
Nov. 17, 2001
6:30 p.m. University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) vs Eastern Michigan (Men)
8:30 p.m. Clemson vs Morris Brown (Men)
Nov. 18, 2001
4:00 p.m. Florida State vs St. Mary's (Women)
6:30 p.m. LaSalle vs Morris Brown (Men)
9:00 p.m. Miami vs Eastern Michigan (Men)
Nov. 19, 2001
4:00 p.m. Dayton vs St. Mary's (Women)
6:30 p.m. Clemson vs LaSalle (Men)
9:00 p.m. Miami vs UAB (Men)
Nov. 20, 2001
1:30 p.m. Morris Brown vs #3 (Men)
4:00 p.m. Florida State vs Dayton (Women)
6:30 p.m. #2 vs #2 of each bracket (Women)
9:00 p.m. #1 vs #1 of each bracket (Women)
Nov. 24, 2001
1:30 p.m. Wisconsin vs Texas (Women)
4:00 p.m. Florida vs USC (Women)
6:30 p.m. Arizona State vs Western Michigan (Women)
9:00 p.m. Kansas State vs Richmond (Women)
Nov. 25, 2001
1:30 p.m. Kansas State University vs WMU (Women)
4:00 p.m. Arizona State University vs Richmond (Women)
6:30 p.m. Wisconsin/Texas winner vs Florida/USC loser (Women)
9:00 p.m. Florida/USC winner vs Wisconsin/Texas winner (Women)
Nov. 26, 2001
10:00 a.m. ASU vs Kansas State (Women)
12:30 p.m. Richmond vs WMU (Women)
KING, LIBURD SQUARE OFF OVER TAXI TOUR FEES
Oct. 30, 2001 – When the Senate Committee of the Whole meets on St. John at 6 p.m. Monday to discuss the V.I. National Park's plan to charge tour operators yearly permit fees, the park will not be represented.
While operators of sailboat charters, kayak tours and other visitor service providers already pay annual permit fees, the plan calls for taxi associations and companies and taxi drivers independently taking people on tours to pay such fees starting Jan. 1.
At a meeting called by Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd in Cruz Bay last Thursday, taxi drivers vehemently protested what they charged was an unfair imposition of the fees.
King countered Tuesday that if the taxi industry isn't assessed permit fees, "It's not fair for all the other commercial community to pay." He wondered why the taxi drivers thought they were above the law when it came to paying permit fees.
Permits will cost $750 a year for taxi associations and companies and $300 a year for solo tour drivers. Taxi drivers who simply transport people from point A to point B without including a tour in the trip will not have to pay any fees.
King said Tuesday that the meeting called by Liburd with taxi drivers to discuss the issue was non-productive. The taxi drivers spent much of the meeting shouting at King over the permit issue and concerning myriad real and imagined transgressions committed by the park over its 45 years on St. John.
"Out of courtesy I attended that meeting, but I have no intention of participating in a similar event," King said, referring to the Committee of the Whole session set for Monday. He said he announced at the end of Thursday's meeting that he would be happy to meet with a "working group" to hammer out some fine points of the permit fee plan, but he wouldn't attend another public meeting.
Although the taxi drivers complained they'd had no input regarding the permit fee requirement, King pointed out that in the planning process spanning a year and a half, park authorities held a dozen public meetings and solicited comment on its new Commercial Services Plan. The permit program has been approved by the regional office, and King said the park is in the midst of implementing it.
King said he had not received an invitation from Liburd to attend the Monday session, but one addressed to his National Park Service regional director, Jerry Belson in Atlanta, had arrived. He said he heard from a deputy regional director on Tuesday that Belson also would not attend. "They don't think this is an appropriate topic," King said.
Liburd was not happy to hear from a reporter that King had said he would not attend the hearing. "The park is now an entity unto itself and doesn't give a damn about the people of St. John," he said. Saying that the park was "putting rules onto the people of St. John" that would affect their lives, he added, "It's no wonder people have a bad perception of the park."
While he heard King say at Thursday's meeting that park officials had held a dozen public meetings in developing the Commercial Services Plan, Liburd said that taxi drivers and tour operators still needed the opportunity to discuss the permit issue.
Liburd vowed to have Gov. Charles W. Turnbull intervene and promised that he would take "some other action" to force King's hand. He declined to elaborate.
In response to King's comment that he had not received an invitation to attend the hearing, Liburd said his office had faxed a copy to King's office. He also said that King needed "to put it in writing" that he would not attend the Committee of the Whole meeting.
While operators of sailboat charters, kayak tours and other visitor service providers already pay annual permit fees, the plan calls for taxi associations and companies and taxi drivers independently taking people on tours to pay such fees starting Jan. 1.
At a meeting called by Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd in Cruz Bay last Thursday, taxi drivers vehemently protested what they charged was an unfair imposition of the fees.
King countered Tuesday that if the taxi industry isn't assessed permit fees, "It's not fair for all the other commercial community to pay." He wondered why the taxi drivers thought they were above the law when it came to paying permit fees.
Permits will cost $750 a year for taxi associations and companies and $300 a year for solo tour drivers. Taxi drivers who simply transport people from point A to point B without including a tour in the trip will not have to pay any fees.
King said Tuesday that the meeting called by Liburd with taxi drivers to discuss the issue was non-productive. The taxi drivers spent much of the meeting shouting at King over the permit issue and concerning myriad real and imagined transgressions committed by the park over its 45 years on St. John.
"Out of courtesy I attended that meeting, but I have no intention of participating in a similar event," King said, referring to the Committee of the Whole session set for Monday. He said he announced at the end of Thursday's meeting that he would be happy to meet with a "working group" to hammer out some fine points of the permit fee plan, but he wouldn't attend another public meeting.
Although the taxi drivers complained they'd had no input regarding the permit fee requirement, King pointed out that in the planning process spanning a year and a half, park authorities held a dozen public meetings and solicited comment on its new Commercial Services Plan. The permit program has been approved by the regional office, and King said the park is in the midst of implementing it.
King said he had not received an invitation from Liburd to attend the Monday session, but one addressed to his National Park Service regional director, Jerry Belson in Atlanta, had arrived. He said he heard from a deputy regional director on Tuesday that Belson also would not attend. "They don't think this is an appropriate topic," King said.
Liburd was not happy to hear from a reporter that King had said he would not attend the hearing. "The park is now an entity unto itself and doesn't give a damn about the people of St. John," he said. Saying that the park was "putting rules onto the people of St. John" that would affect their lives, he added, "It's no wonder people have a bad perception of the park."
While he heard King say at Thursday's meeting that park officials had held a dozen public meetings in developing the Commercial Services Plan, Liburd said that taxi drivers and tour operators still needed the opportunity to discuss the permit issue.
Liburd vowed to have Gov. Charles W. Turnbull intervene and promised that he would take "some other action" to force King's hand. He declined to elaborate.
In response to King's comment that he had not received an invitation to attend the hearing, Liburd said his office had faxed a copy to King's office. He also said that King needed "to put it in writing" that he would not attend the Committee of the Whole meeting.
PARK BUSINESS PLAN QUANTIFIES OPERATIONAL NEEDS
Oct. 30, 2001 – V.I. National Park Supt. John King gives the park a grade of "C-minus" for its ability to meet visitor needs and protect its natural resources. But he has a new economic map with guidelines to follow for bringing it up to an "A."
With the help of two consultants from the National Park Service and Conservation Association, the park staff started work in June on the development of a "business plan initiative" to help quantify the difference between where is and where it would like to go, something called a "gap analysis" in park parlance. The goal is to have the park operate more like a business and less like a government bureaucracy.
"On a previously vague road map for the future of the Virgin Islands National Park, we now have a clearly marked and fully justified path," King said.
And to follow that path, he added, "We need 32 people and $2.6 million a year" above current staffing and budget levels.
Students from the nation's leading business and public policy graduate programs teamed up to develop the plan, a 35-page document which is posted in its entirety on the Friends of the V.I. National Park web site. Click on "National Park Planning" element in the lower center of the page, then on the listing "Download Virgin Islands National Park Business Plan." The pdf-format document requires Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is available for downloading free online.
King said the plan will help the park justify its needs to National Park Service regional and federal officials who control the purse strings. "It gives thoughtful consideration to what it takes to operate a park," he said.
The park on St. John and most of the 47 other national parks that have developed a business plan are all in about the same boat, King said. All had a shortfalls that hit around 40 percent of their existing staffing and budget needs. Chronic underfunding is a problem all over, he said.
"We aren't going to be able to secure the future of the parks until we can readily explain what happens to current funding, what needs fixing, and how much it costs to run parks adequately," King said.
However, he added, the V.I. National Park is in much better shape than it was just a few years ago. "This park was a very poor park until three or four years ago," he said, noting that if parks could declare bankruptcy, this one would have been a good candidate.
The operations budget has risen by $1.9 million over the last two years to $5 million. King said only one other national park has received such a hefty rate of increase.
Some park projects are funded through special park appropriations, such as the one that paid for the new Visitor Center that opened last year. In addition, the park receives grants and gifts from the Friends of the Park and other organizations.
Joe Kessler, V.I. Friends president, said the group expects to provide $485,000 in funding for projects this fiscal year. They include the installation of moorings and hurricane chains, a study of African dust, the development of a coral reef digital video disk for distribution to schools, the creation of an interactive kiosk for the Visitor Center, erosion control on Maho Bay Road, improvements at Hassel Island on St. Thomas, and a host of other projects soon to get under way.
King said the business plan will help groups such as the Friends of the Park to target areas that need funding. While he expects there won't be more big budget increases for parks anytime soon, given the stresses on the national economy, he sees money coming down the pike for some special projects.
For example, he said, the V.I. park will get $248,000 in startup funding for the new Coral Reef National Monument, located off St. John and supervised by park staff. He also expects to receive $360,000 to develop a general management plan for the monument and $760,000 to do the same for the park over the next two years.
King also anticipates getting in-kind help from the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Agency. The agency is expected to send two community planners to work on projects such as signage for Cruz Bay and has offered to facilitate meetings to solicit input on a master plan for the town, he said.
With the help of two consultants from the National Park Service and Conservation Association, the park staff started work in June on the development of a "business plan initiative" to help quantify the difference between where is and where it would like to go, something called a "gap analysis" in park parlance. The goal is to have the park operate more like a business and less like a government bureaucracy.
"On a previously vague road map for the future of the Virgin Islands National Park, we now have a clearly marked and fully justified path," King said.
And to follow that path, he added, "We need 32 people and $2.6 million a year" above current staffing and budget levels.
Students from the nation's leading business and public policy graduate programs teamed up to develop the plan, a 35-page document which is posted in its entirety on the Friends of the V.I. National Park web site. Click on "National Park Planning" element in the lower center of the page, then on the listing "Download Virgin Islands National Park Business Plan." The pdf-format document requires Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is available for downloading free online.
King said the plan will help the park justify its needs to National Park Service regional and federal officials who control the purse strings. "It gives thoughtful consideration to what it takes to operate a park," he said.
The park on St. John and most of the 47 other national parks that have developed a business plan are all in about the same boat, King said. All had a shortfalls that hit around 40 percent of their existing staffing and budget needs. Chronic underfunding is a problem all over, he said.
"We aren't going to be able to secure the future of the parks until we can readily explain what happens to current funding, what needs fixing, and how much it costs to run parks adequately," King said.
However, he added, the V.I. National Park is in much better shape than it was just a few years ago. "This park was a very poor park until three or four years ago," he said, noting that if parks could declare bankruptcy, this one would have been a good candidate.
The operations budget has risen by $1.9 million over the last two years to $5 million. King said only one other national park has received such a hefty rate of increase.
Some park projects are funded through special park appropriations, such as the one that paid for the new Visitor Center that opened last year. In addition, the park receives grants and gifts from the Friends of the Park and other organizations.
Joe Kessler, V.I. Friends president, said the group expects to provide $485,000 in funding for projects this fiscal year. They include the installation of moorings and hurricane chains, a study of African dust, the development of a coral reef digital video disk for distribution to schools, the creation of an interactive kiosk for the Visitor Center, erosion control on Maho Bay Road, improvements at Hassel Island on St. Thomas, and a host of other projects soon to get under way.
King said the business plan will help groups such as the Friends of the Park to target areas that need funding. While he expects there won't be more big budget increases for parks anytime soon, given the stresses on the national economy, he sees money coming down the pike for some special projects.
For example, he said, the V.I. park will get $248,000 in startup funding for the new Coral Reef National Monument, located off St. John and supervised by park staff. He also expects to receive $360,000 to develop a general management plan for the monument and $760,000 to do the same for the park over the next two years.
King also anticipates getting in-kind help from the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Agency. The agency is expected to send two community planners to work on projects such as signage for Cruz Bay and has offered to facilitate meetings to solicit input on a master plan for the town, he said.
8 SYRIANS PLEAD GUILTY TO ILLEGAL ENTRY
Oct. 30, 2001 — Eight Syrian nationals who were arrested at the Bunker Hill Hotel in Charlotte Amalie last week pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor illegal immigration charges.
Speaking through an Arabic interpreter, the eight men told Magistrate Judge Geoffrey Barnard they were guilty of entering St. Thomas illegally by boat from St. Martin in August.
Because they offered the guilty plea, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugh Mabe indicated that prosecutors would not bring any more serious charges against the Syrians.
Barnard sentenced each of the men to time already spent in custody and turned them over to officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The men, who have indicated they face persecution in their native Syria because they are Christian, are expected to apply for political asylum in the United States.
The INS hearings could include deportation proceedings or other actions, Mabe said.
The men were picked up last week by a team of federal agents from the FBI, INS and Drug Enforcement Administration and local police. During operations last week, a similar task force executed search warrants at Plaza Extra stores on St. Thomas and St. Croix, searched several other Arab-owned groceries and convenience stores and also arrested four Jordanian nationals at the Miller Manor guesthouse in downtown Charlotte Amalie.
The four Jordanians also appeared in court before Barnard on Tuesday, but Mabe said prosecutors were still investigating that case and were not prepared to offer plea agreements. He said prosecutors expect to file additional felony charges against at least one of the Jordanians, Ra Ed Awad Mustafa Alghazawi, while the other three men could be held as material witnesses in that case. Those men have been identified as Eyad Ahmad Abdel Mustafa, Yaser Mohammad Hammad and Amer Abdel Rahim.
Barnard ordered that the Jordanians remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for a 10-day period while investigators decide what charges to file.
Prosecutors have asked that the four be detained until the case is resolved, but Douglas Bevers, assistant federal public defender, has asked for a hearing on the detention issue. "Such detention without a hearing is a violation of the constitution," Bevers said.
Barnard scheduled the next hearing in the Jordanians' case for Monday.
Speaking through an Arabic interpreter, the eight men told Magistrate Judge Geoffrey Barnard they were guilty of entering St. Thomas illegally by boat from St. Martin in August.
Because they offered the guilty plea, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugh Mabe indicated that prosecutors would not bring any more serious charges against the Syrians.
Barnard sentenced each of the men to time already spent in custody and turned them over to officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The men, who have indicated they face persecution in their native Syria because they are Christian, are expected to apply for political asylum in the United States.
The INS hearings could include deportation proceedings or other actions, Mabe said.
The men were picked up last week by a team of federal agents from the FBI, INS and Drug Enforcement Administration and local police. During operations last week, a similar task force executed search warrants at Plaza Extra stores on St. Thomas and St. Croix, searched several other Arab-owned groceries and convenience stores and also arrested four Jordanian nationals at the Miller Manor guesthouse in downtown Charlotte Amalie.
The four Jordanians also appeared in court before Barnard on Tuesday, but Mabe said prosecutors were still investigating that case and were not prepared to offer plea agreements. He said prosecutors expect to file additional felony charges against at least one of the Jordanians, Ra Ed Awad Mustafa Alghazawi, while the other three men could be held as material witnesses in that case. Those men have been identified as Eyad Ahmad Abdel Mustafa, Yaser Mohammad Hammad and Amer Abdel Rahim.
Barnard ordered that the Jordanians remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for a 10-day period while investigators decide what charges to file.
Prosecutors have asked that the four be detained until the case is resolved, but Douglas Bevers, assistant federal public defender, has asked for a hearing on the detention issue. "Such detention without a hearing is a violation of the constitution," Bevers said.
Barnard scheduled the next hearing in the Jordanians' case for Monday.
ANNA MARIA LEYCOCK FUNERAL SERVICES
Anna Maria Leycock, age 85, of #483 Est. Mon Bijou, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital. Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Viewing will begin at 10 a.m. Internment will take place at Kingshill Cemetery.
She is survived by her daughter Dolores M. James; son Victor Leycock; four grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren; other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
Professional arrangements are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
She is survived by her daughter Dolores M. James; son Victor Leycock; four grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren; other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
Professional arrangements are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
BABY AMAYA SADE BURKE
Baby Amaya Sade Burke passed away on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Centro Medico Hospital in Puerto Rico. She is survived by her mother Kisha A. Williams; father Shamade K. Burke; other relatives too numerous to mention.
Professional arrangments are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
Professional arrangments are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
HELEN CLARIE SKOV FUNERAL SERVICES
Funeral services for Helen Clarie Skov, age 68, of Estate Teague Bay, will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Lord god of Saboath Lutheran Church. There will be no viewing. Internment will take place at the Christianted Cemetery.
She is survived by her husband James Peter Skov; daughter Laura Koch; sons Carlos and and Jean-Pierre; five grandchildren; sisters Lillian Skov, Eleanor Mayhew, Agnes Corey, Grace Reynolds, Alice Presson and Evelyn Bustamante; brother John Mayhew; and other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
Professional services are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Hoome Inc.
She is survived by her husband James Peter Skov; daughter Laura Koch; sons Carlos and and Jean-Pierre; five grandchildren; sisters Lillian Skov, Eleanor Mayhew, Agnes Corey, Grace Reynolds, Alice Presson and Evelyn Bustamante; brother John Mayhew; and other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
Professional services are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Hoome Inc.
