Oct. 10, 2001 – Delegate Donna Christian Christensen was one of 118 House Democrats to vote for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), elected Thursday as the new Democratic Whip.
Pelosi is the first woman to reach this level of leadership of the House Democrats. She will become the de facto female deputy floor leader of her party. Although the Democrats are currently the minority in Congress, historically, a number of party Whips have eventually moved up to become Speaker of the House when their party is in power.
Pelosi defeated Rep. Steny Hoyer (D., Md.), who received 95 votes in the secret balloting. She will succeed Congressman David Bonior (D., Mich.), who is leaving the House to run for governor of his state.
Personnel in the office of the Democratric Whip had said earlier this week that the election, initially scheduled for Wednesday, would be held on Thursday instead. But it was, in fact, held on Wednesday morning.

Oct. 10, 2001 – A public hearing on Botany Bay Partners' request to rezone 380 acres at Botany Bay on the west end of St. Thomas' has been postponed. The original date was Oct. 18 and no date has been set for a new hearing.
The area is currently zoned R-1, residential low-density. The company is asking for a rezoning to R-3, residential medium density, for three of the parcels. Additionally, it wants a rezoning for the waterfront parcel from R-1 to Waterfront – pleasure, in order to build a dock.
Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean Plaskett said Wednesday that the hearing was postponed because Botany Bay Partners does not have the minor Coastal Zone Management permit needed before the company can to subdivide the property and put in roads.
He said the company failed to submit a rainwater runoff study and historic preservation clearance letter with its application for the minor permit.
"There are a bunch of historic artifacts there," Plaskett said.
The person who answered the phone at William M. Karr and Associates, the architect for the project, said the company had no comment. He would not give his name.
Plaskett said the rezoning hearing would not take place until Botany Bay Partners gets its minor CZM permit.
The company wants to build a 100-room hotel, 80 time share units, 80 vacation villas as well as allocate 40 lots for private residences.
Plaskett said Botany Bay Associates needs a major CZM permit before it can begin building. He said that in order to get a permit for the dock, it will have to go before the Legislature.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Association of St. Thomas/St. John has sent out an appeal for an attorney willing to donate services to help the organization fight the development, President Carla Joseph said.
"We realize there are going to be a lot of legal issues," she said.
While EAST as well as many residents oppose the project for environmental reasons, Plaskett said that if the project is done in an "environmentally conscious" manner, it would be of value to the territory.
He said plans call for the developers to turn over major archeological finds to the government and the University of the Virgin Islands.
"There are beautiful ruins, Indian artifacts and maybe an Indian burial ground," Plaskett said.

Oct. 10, 2001 – How many yearend holiday shopping days are left depends on where your presents are to be delivered.
If you're planning to use the U.S. Postal Service to send gifts outside the United States, those going to Africa and the Middle East by surface mail must be mailed by Oct. 26 in order to reach their destination by Christmas. For these same geographical areas, the deadline for air letters and air parcel post is Dec. 3.
For general international surface mail to Asia/Pacific Rim, Australia/New Zealand, Central America and South America, the deadline is Nov. 2.
For surface mail to the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, Nov. 10 is the deadline. And for Canadian delivery, it's Nov. 23.
For all military overseas addresses, the deadlines are Nov. 6 for standard mail, Nov. 27 for Space Available Mail (SAM), Dec. 4 for Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL), and Dec. 11 for priority and first-class mail.
Military mail is defined in three APO/FPO groups: AE ZIPs 090-098, AA ZIPs 340, and AP ZIPs 962-966. SAM and PAL are available through the U.S. Postal Service for military mail only. PAL, available for standard mail not exceeding 30 pounds or 60 inches in length and girth combined, requires an additional fee. SAM parcels sent at standard mail rates are first transported domestically by surface where possible and then sent on to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis; the limit is 15 pounds or 60 inches length and girth combined.
The above schedule of delivery times, released by Louis A. Jackson, V.I. postmaster and coortinator, is from a U.S. Postal Bulletin issued Sept. 8. Changes may be necessary due to the events of Sept. 11 and their aftermath, although the current word is that the "schedule still applies."
For 11th-hour mailers, the Postal Service offers the faster but also pricier options of Global Priority and Global Express Mail.
For additional information, stop by any post office or call 774-1950 on St. Thomas; 778-0199 (Kingshill) or 773-1505 (Richmond) on St. Croix; or 779-4227 on St. John. Or go online to the U.S. Postal Service web site.

Oct. 10, 2001 – How many yearend holiday shopping days are left depends on where your presents are to be delivered.
If you're planning to use the U.S. Postal Service to send gifts outside the United States, those going to Africa and the Middle East by surface mail must be mailed by Oct. 26 in order to reach their destination by Christmas. For these same geographic areas, the deadline for air letters and air parcel post is Dec. 3.
For general international surface mail to Asia/Pacific Rim, Australia/New Zealand, Central America and South America, the deadline is Nov. 2.
For surface mail to the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, Nov. 10 is the deadline. And for Canadian delivery, it's Nov. 23.
For all military overseas addresses, the deadlines are Nov. 6 for standard mail, Nov. 27 for Space Available Mail (SAM), Dec. 4 for Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL), and Dec. 11 for priority and first-class mail.
Military mail is defined in three APO/FPO groups: AE ZIPs 090-098, AA ZIPs 340, and AP ZIPs 962-966. SAM and PAL are available through the U.S. Postal Service for military mail only. PAL, available for standard mail not exceeding 30 pounds or 60 inches in length and girth combined, requires an additional fee. SAM parcels sent at standard mail rates are first transported domestically by surface where possible and then sent on to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis; the limit is 15 pounds or 60 inches length and girth combined.
The above schedule of delivery times, released by Louis A. Jackson, V.I. postmaster and coortinator, is from a U.S. Postal Bulletin issued Sept. 8. Changes may be necessary due to the events of Sept. 11 and their aftermath, although the current word is that the "schedule still applies."
For 11th-hour mailers, the Postal Service offers the faster but also pricier options of Global Priority and Global Express Mail.
For additional information, stop by any post office or call 774-1950 on St. Thomas; 778-0199 (Kingshill) or 773-1505 (Richmond) on St. Croix; or 779-4227 on St. John. Or go online to the U.S. Postal Service web site.

Oct. 10, 2001 – The St. Thomas offices of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency were evacuated Tuesday morning after authorities learned that vandals had been on the roof of the building housing the government's emergency operations center.
The evacuation was a precaution, a VITEMA official said. It was found that unidentified persons had begun to sever communication cables on the roof of the AQ Building across from Nisky Center, where the VITEMA offices are located.
After another tenant in the building reported seeing "persons on the roof," VITEMA's director, Harold Baker, said, "we surveyed the area and found the cut cables."
The vandalism did not interrupt VITEMA operations, he said, but did trigger intensified security procedures in place as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the mainland. "We are not disabled," he emphasized. "We are fully functional, despite the damage to communication equipment."
According to Baker, "Wireless lines and satellite communication cables" were cut, "and other tenants in the building were also affected by the vandalism to the cables."
The stepped-up security means that public access to the VITEMA facilities "will be a bit more restricted," Baker said. "We no longer will allow tours of the building and will look at all areas of the security system and make changes as we see fit."
The vandalism followed Monday’s telephoned bomb threats against hotels and the official residence of the governor. Security personnel found no bombs.

Oct. 10, 2001 – A St. Thomas road worker was killed Tuesday afternoon after a portion of the roadway he was excavating collapsed.
Shortly before 3 p.m., 47-year-old Milton Skeete, who had been working on the excavation in the Bovoni area near the Clinton E. Phipps Race Track, was buried in several feet of dirt, rocks and rubble when the side of the road collapsed.
Rescue officers and emergency medical personnel spent hours trying to rescue Skeete but eventually resorted to using a backhoe to free his body from the rubble.
Medical Examiner Francisco Landron identified Skeete as the victim on Wednesday.
Officials of the Public Works Department and of Island Roads, the company under contract with Public Works to perform the road work, declined to comment on the matter.
An investigation reportedly is under way to determined how the accident occurred.

The St. Thomas-St. John-Water Island Branch of the V.I. Republican Party will hold its monthly meeting at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at its headquarters located on the 3rd floor of the Drug Farm Pharmacy Bldg., Sugar Estate Road.
The public is invited to attend.
For more information call 776-1448, 777-8701 or 774-5764.

The St. Thomas-St. John-Water Island Branch of the Republican Party of the V.I. will hold its monthly meeting at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at its headquarters located on the 3rd floor of the Drug Farm Pharmacy Bldg., Sugar Estate Road.
The public is invited to attend.
For more information call 776-1448, 777-8701 or 774-5764.

The St. Thomas-St. John-Water Island Branch of the Republican party will hold its monthly meeting at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at its headquarters located on the 3rd floor of the Drug Farm Pharmacy Bldg., Sugar Estate Road.
The public is invited to attend.
For additional information call 776-1448, 777-8701 or 774-5764.

The St. Thomas-St. John-Water Island Branch of the V.I. Republican Party will hold its monthly meeting at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at its headquarters located on the 3rd floor of the Drug Farm Pharmacy Building, Sugar Estate Road.
The public is invited to attend.
For additional information call 776-1448, 777-8701 or 774-5764.