Fifth in a series of articles on the Summer 2001 visit to Denmark by the Friends of Denmark, hosted by the West Indian Society there
When living in Africa years ago, we were introduced to a Danish social worker who worked internationally but kept her permanent residence at her birthplace in Gilleleje. Dr. Paulsen is usually home in the summer, and we were fortunate during this trip to Denmark to schedule a day's visit.
Our trip began with a bicycle ride from our host's home to the local railroad station, where we took an inner city B train to Copenhagen Central, then an inner city A train to Hellerod, where we transferred to an independent train which took us for a 30-minute trip through Grib Skov, the largest forest in Denmark.
We ended up in Gilleleje, which is on the northern tip of Zealand, after a total travel time of about 2 ½ hours. The cost was about $7 per person round trip.
Gelleleje: Still a fishing village
There are two special places in Gilleleje as far as I am concerned: the church and the smokehouse. When the church was begun is unknown. Christianity was brought to Denmark in 900. The regional church in Solberg as built in 1140, and the Danish church was reformed in 1536. The Gilleleje Church was first mentioned in 1538, when the fishermen of the community hired their own pastor and broke from the regional parish. In the 1730s, the church received a new foundation of boulders, and the old roof, built of recycled ships' timbers, was raised.
As the Nazi Germans invaded Denmark and the Gestapo set out to exterminate the Jews, some 2000 Danish Jews fled through Gilleleje to Sweden ahead of them. During the first five days of October 1943, the initial Gestapo roundup, 348 Jews sailed from Gilleleje in small fishing boats. On the sixth day, 182 Jews reached the boats, 20 were hidden in the church hall and 81 were hidden in the church loft. Unfortunately, the church was too small for so many and had become known for its use. All but one of the Jew were taken that night (the survivor having made it out onto the roof).
Many Danish churches have a ship model suspended from the ceiling. This is to commemorate the close relationship between the Danes and the sea. Gilleleje, being a major fishing village, has four ships in its church: Anna, Argus, Ferdinand Larsens minde, and Henry. The oldest is the brigantine Anne, which dates to 1830.
The pulpit of the church is baroque in design, carved in the 16th century. There are two original altar candlesticks from 1575 and a chalice from 1662. The truly medieval baptismal font is on loan from the National Museum to replace the original font, which was removed and later replaced by a 1780 pewter basin.
The waters around Gilleleje surpass all international standards for purity, and the beaches have been awarded the coveted international Blue Flag indicating they are free of contamination. As dawn breaks, the fishermen return to the harbor with their catches. At the fish auction hall, the catches are sold in a unique language understood only by the initiated. Some fish then are smoked on site in a distinctive whitewashed smokehouse with dual chimneys.
While I enjoy pickled herring of almost any style, when it comes to fresh smoked fish, I am partial to mackerel. This normally fatty fish releases its excess oil, leaving a moist flesh to spread on fresh multigrain bread and crackers, and blend well into various spreads.
But for us, the absolutely best part of a visit to Gilleleje is sitting with Dr. Paulsen in her yard surrounded by flowering bushes and fruited trees. A table with smorgasbord, cheese, a fruit tart and tea is the perfect accompaniment. Here we can remember long-ago activities and plan new ones with an understanding friend.
The Swedes who would be Danes
Our second major side trip while visiting Denmark this time was to southern Sweden and the area known as Scania. Long before the Viking period (790-1050), this area was an important part of Denmark. With forts on the two sides of the Oresund Sound and a few active fighting ships, the Danes controlled traffic in and out of the Baltic. The highways of the day were waterways, and the Danes imposed a tax on all ship captains.
Finally, after a war in 1658, Denmark was forced to cede the mainland to Sweden. Even today, however, many families in Scania believe they should be Danish and fly their own flag, which has a red field with a yellow cross. (The Danish flag, or Dannebrog, is a red field with a white cross, while the Swedish flag is a blue field with a yellow cross.)
Within minutes of boarding our bus, we were passing over one of the engineering marvels of the 20th century — the Sound Bridge. This causeway bridge spans the Oresund between Kobenhavn (Copenhagen) and Malmo. At the time it was built, it was the longest single-span bridge in the world, eclipsing the bridge between Fynn and Zealand.
Our first stop was the village of Dragor, where we visited an ancient Danish-style church which abutted a Danish King's farm.
As luck would have it, while our bus passengers were scrabbling to access the church toilet in the yard, the local mortician rolled a body into the sanctuary. He then proceeded to deny us access to the church on the premise that we would disturb the dead parishioner. We were able to view the church's rock foundation and flying-buttressed wall, both of which have stood for almost 1,000 years.
A clock in need of interpretation
Next we drove through the suburbs of Malmo to Lund. The church at Lund is remarkable for its architecture, mosaics, crypt and clock.
According to legend, the area where the church was constructed was known as Troll Hill because an infamous troll lived there. When the troll learned a permanent and expanded structure was to be built on his hill and further disturb his peace, he became quite angry. To appease the troll, a monk promised him anything if he would join in the construction effort.
The troll agreed, and, when construction was complete, he asked for the sun and the moon. The monk replied it was an impossible request. The troll countered with the offer that, should the monk guess his real name before sundown; he would cancel the demand. If not, the monk would forfeit his life.
As the sun set, the monk, sitting in the crypt, became increasingly tense and began to hum an old tune his mother had sung to sooth her children. Finally he burst out singing "Finn, Finn, I am, I am." The troll, hearing his name, flew into a rage, grabbed a nearby column to destroy it and became fused to the stone. Viewing the crypt, all but one column is smooth stone. That one has a raised humanoid figure grasping it.
The immense church clock is a unique work not only of art, but of science. At the top is a knight who beats his sword against a drum to sound the hour. Next there is a display of figures with trumpeters at the extremes with Mary and the Christ child in the center. On the hour, doors open and the magi parade before the throne.
Farther down is a large panel of star signs and such information with elliptical tracks for several devices to travel on. The bottom third of the "clock" includes a huge revolving disk with all sorts of hieroglyphics too detailed to read from behind the safety restraining rail. After I studied this 15-foot-high contraption for some time, it all became apparent:
A. When the knight strikes the drum, it counts the hour.
B. At noon the herald's trumpet and the wise men come out to parade past the Virgin and Child.
C. I need an expert to interpret everything else, including the time other than the hour.
After a lovely long drive along secondary roads through forests and farmlands, we arrived at the Swedish port of Helsingborg across the narrow strait from the Danish port of Helsingor. Here we embarked on a ferry for the return to Denmark. After landing, we made our way to Kronborg Castle (Elsinore), the famous castle of Macbeth built in 1575 complete with Dutch Renaissance Baron ial Hall.
Unfortunately, we arrived late in the afternoon. The castle is used in the summer for various play productions — "Othello" had just finished and "Macbeth" was due to open the next night. Therefore, the courtyard and interior of the castle were closed.
However, we were able to walk the ramparts, and one of our Danish hosts fired three of his model cannon to give us an idea of the art of warfare when the castle was a major player in international commerce.
As the day ended, we traveled down the coast road back to Copenhagen and our hosts.
Next: The obligatory brewery tour, shopping and the goodbye ball.

Sept. 8, 2001 – If the territory were fueled with the economic energy emanating from the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 2001 on Friday and Saturday, the governor and Legislature wouldn't have to worry about balancing the budget.
Under the massive roof of the new Sports and Fitness Center on the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas campus, almost 60 exhibitors displayed their wares and touted their services. The offerings covered a lot of ground, too: espresso, electric boats, ice cream, computers, banks, cookies, counter tops, pest control, hotel accommodations, automated-teller machines, legal services, consulting services, cellular phones, rustic furniture and much, much more.
Along with business exhibitors, the American Red Cross, the Humane Society of St. Thomas, Rotary International and the U.S. Postal Service had informational booths. So did St. Croix's Hovensa refinery, with personnel handing out information in an outreach to tell people how the company is set up and what it provides the Virgin Islands community.
UVI had two booths, one promoting its proposed research technology park, the other displaying information about the services of its Small Business Development Center.
Almost hidden behind two laptop computers and one desktop model sat Granville Smith, chief of computer operations for the Internal Revenue Bureau. He seemed in good spirits in light of recent publicity about the IRB not issuing tax-credit checks. Smiling, he said he wasn't getting a lot of flak about that, but people were stopping by because they "just want to look up their tax records, see them on the computer."
Most exhibitors were giving away raffle prizes — candles, cellular phones, hotel stays, signs, hot sauce — which kept the chamber's Priscilla Hintz busy calling off winning ticket numbers every hour. On Friday afternoon, Leona Bryant of WVWI Radio did her "Leona" talk show on location, interviewing participants and viewers.
Saturday featured three free seminars: "Home Decorating in the Caribbean," "The Power of Direct Mail Marketing" and "Opening Doors to Home Ownership." In the decorating area, Felipe Ayala of Silk Greenery led about 20 students on a whirlwind tour of what to do with fanciful items from that enterprise, owned by Toni Jackson. "No item should only serve one function," he said, displaying a tray as a tray and a tray as a wall hanging.
While the objective was selling themselves to walk-in customers, some exhibitors struck some deals of their own. Mary Simpson and Catherine Willey-Rowe of St. Croix, who just started Caribbean Business Solutions/Caribbean Dispensing ATM's, became intrigued by an electric boat at the next booth. Simpson, a water enthusiast and boat owner, couldn't take her eyes off the bright green and white launch about 35 feet long with a canvas canopy. "We're talking to the dealer about taking it to St. Croix," she said. "What a nice way to go to Buck Island!"
Joe Aubain, chamber executive director, set Friday's attendance by 3 p.m. at about 750 and called it "phenomenal." This is the first expo the chamber has had in two years, Aubain said from behind the Humane Society counter, where he was spelling board member/volunteer Claudia LaBorde for a few minutes. "This venue is wonderful," he said. "The UVI staff has been great … The community affairs department and Peter Sauer, director of the center, have helped so much."
Basic booth space went for $400, Aubain said, and there were three aisles chock full. There was a festive atmosphere, with balloons everywhere and friends greeting one another while stopping to compare notes.
University President Orville Kean and his wife Juliette, representing Banco Popular, and UVI's St. Thomas campus chancellor, Roy Watlington, were in evidence both days, mingling with the crowd and taking obvious pride in the new center.
Wearing one of the biggest grins was Randy Shaffer of Ace Sign Inc., who had signs from every restaurant and bar imaginable on display. "I sold $2,000 before 10 a.m. to the other vendors," he said Friday, "and another $7,000 to customers this afternoon." He stopped grinning to muse, "I was too busy before. What'll I do now?"
A crowd bunched up to munch chips with salsas, cream cheese and chutney at a colorful display representing a new collaborative endeavor of three local entrepreneurs. Called Caribbean Made Gifts, its product line is group-order baskets for corporate and individual gifts.
The three partners — Cheryl Miller of Cheryl's Taste of Paradise, on St. John; and Gail Garrison of Island Fragrance and Jason Budson of Caribbean Herbals, both on St. Thomas — will maintain their individual operations, too. But for the expo, they were three for one, and from the crowds around their booth, it appeared to be a good one.
Lawyer Tom Bolt offered an opinion free of charge: "I'm really happy to see the number of new businesses," he said. "It's an excellent opportunity for them. I didn't even know some of these consulting services — KPMG and Star Consulting — were on island."
Pointing to a corner filled with brightly colored pottery, pillows and pine furniture, Bolt said, "That's great stuff." Proprietor Roy Hall of Casa Rustica explained that his store had just opened in the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel. "This is wonderful exposure, just wonderful," he said of the expo.
Sandy Davis of Grandma Sandy's Island Cookie Co. & More was still cheerful Saturday after having given away more than 100 dozen cookies on Friday. "It's worth it," she said. "Once they taste them, they'll be back."
Tom Brunt of MSI Building Supplies, the immediate past president of the chamber, said, "It great, a good venue. There's a good cross section of people — I've never seen law firms and accounting firms before." He added, "Sales aren't the issue here. It's the exposure."
The expo was sponsored by Business World, Chase Manhattan Bank, Cingular Wireless, EVC Motors Co., Innovative and Knight Quality Stations.

Sept. 9, 2001 – Thick, rich and delicious, peanut punch can be prepared — and enjoyed — in a variety of ways.
Made from unsalted and roasted peanuts, milk, essence and a sweetener, peanut punch has several variations. The use of soy milk makes the Rastafarian-favorite form of Ital peanut punch.
Traditional recipes call for evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk. Vanilla essence is my favorite for flavoring this beverage. The use of almonds in place of the peanuts and almond essence makes another tasty variation. White sugar, brown sugar or honey can be used for sweetening. Nutmeg is the preferred topping, although a sprinkle of cinnamon or even allspice works just as well.
The secret to a delectable peanut punch is to serve it fresh. Whip up the ingredients in the blender, pour the drink immediately and serve it then and there. If you allow the concoction to sit, the chopped peanuts settle to the bottom of the glass; the result will be a watery-tasting first sip and a gulp of peanut butter at the end.
Children love peanut punch, and it's a good way for little ones to get extra protein and B-vitamins. For adult tastes, some add a splash of rum. With or without, it's a delicious, nutritious drink. Here's the recipe for a non-dairy version:
Peanut Punch
1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
3 cups water
1 cup soymilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
Honey, to taste
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
Place peanuts and water in the container of a blender or food processor. Process 2 to 3 minutes, until nuts are thoroughly ground. Strain mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or muslin. After squeezing the cloth to extract all the liquid, discard the peanut pulp. To liquid, add soymilk, essence and honey to taste. Garnish individual servings with nutmeg.
Serves 6. Per serving: 225 calories, 18 gms fat (70 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 10 mg sodium.

Sept. 9, 2001 – Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel will be coming to the territory this month to conduct two disaster-response training programs, one on St. Thomas and the other on St. Croix.
They and territorial emergency response officials will conduct a three-day training session on "response and readiness" Tuesday through Thursday for federal and territorial personnel. The training will take place at the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel on St. Thomas.
The V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency director, Harold Baker, said all emergency services coordinators should attend the training course. The presentation "is designed to provide traning in a hurricane response scenario using common terminology and operatons procedures with our federal counterpart," Baker said.
On Sept. 17 and 18, a FEMA community relations team will conduct training in "Community Relations During Disasters" at the VITEMA headquarters on St. Croix.
The training session is for staff of VITEMA and the administration's Public Information Office, as well as public information officers from the various government agencies. It will focus on "how to develop community relations teams capable of providing officials and individuals with vital information on available disaster assistance and services during emergencies," according to a Government House release.
"A strong community relations function forms a critical foundation for a successful response and recovery operation," Elroy Harrison, VITEMA deputy director for St. Croix, said. "By building our own community relations capability, we will be better able to assess overall needs, identify special pockets of populations, and provide quick relief."
For further information about either training program, call 774-2244 on St. Thomas or 773-2244 on St. Croix.

Sept. 9, 2001 – Senior staffers at St. Thomas's Coral World Marine Park dropped everything recently to accommodate three new arrivals in desperate need of help after being rescued by National Park Service biologists from the Buck Island Reef Monument off St. Croix.
The three green sea turtle hatchlings were in danger of "death from dehydration, starvation or being eaten by predators" according to Coral World curator Donna Nemeth.
Because of their diminished numbers, Nemeth says, green sea turtles are a "threatened species" on the federal endangered species list. As such, they are protected by federal law, and it is illegal to possess them unless you have a permit.
Coral World is licensed by the Fish and Wildlife Division of the Planning and Natural Resources Department as a rehabilitation station for all species of endangered sea turtles, and it holds a permit to raise rescued green sea turtle hatchlings for eventual release back into the wild as adults.
Nemeth flew to St. Croix on Aug. 30 — with a ticket donated to the rescue effort by Seaborne Airlines — to escort the three tiny hatchlings to the safety of their new home at Coral World. Now, she reports, all three are doing well under the watchful eye of senior aquarist Andrea Stephens, "who has lots of experience monitoring green turtle health" using sophisticated techniques developed while she was previously working at the South Carolina Aquarium.
Nemeth and Stephens agree that the hatchlings' chances of survival at Coral World are "excellent." Such was not the case when they were discovered by National Park personnel a week and a half ago.
Nemeth explains the hard facts of green sea turtle life: After hatching on Aug. 28 from among a hundred or so eggs that had been buried together by their mother, she says, the three tiny hatchlings "did not or could not emerge" from their nest with the rest of their siblings. "They were the runts, or they were the weakest," she theorizes.
And yet, "other than the fact that they didn't get out" until National Park personnel checked the nest site for stragglers, "all three were healthy." Still, as newborn sea turtles, they were in a life-threatening situation. Wildlife managers call it a "non-primary emergence situation," and, Nemeth says, that constitutes the condition under which Coral World is permitted to "retain green sea turtle hatchlings."
Nemeth puts the situation in perspective thus: "If Coral World did not exist, and the National Park Service found these turtles on the beach, they would pick them up and carry them to the water and set them free. But their chances for survival are pretty darn low. They lose that safety-in-numbers factor that they have when all 100 or so siblings emerge from the nest together and hurry into the sea. If you put only three out there, they stick out like sore thumbs and usually fall prey to predators."
According to Nemeth, the rescue of the turtles was the highlight of her week. "After four years, our six adult green sea turtles are getting a little big for their saltwater pool," she notes. "They came to us under the same circumstances as these new ones. Soon they will be tagged and released. During their tenure, though, we have been able to educate visitors about the lives of endangered sea turtles and the many perils they face."
Greens turtles, who are actually born blackish in color on top, changing to dark mottled brown with age, got their name from long-ago turtle hunters who observed that "their meat is green," according to Stephens.
Although they can grow to weigh several hundred pounds, they are vegetarians as adults and "have very different dietary requirements from other turtles," Nemeth says, so in captivity the young turtles are fed a diet of herbivore gelatin and fresh collard greens as an alternate to native sea "turtle" grass. However, she adds, wild green sea turtles inadvertently become omnivores, eating an assortment of invertebrates that are attached to turtle grass. So, at Coral World, their diet is supplemented with chopped whiting and herring.
The new arrivals will probably go on exhibit in October in the Marine Gardens building, Nemeth said, and will then be moved to the larger Turtle Pool in about six months. And then? "As they outgrow the outside Turtle Pool, they are destined to be released back into the ocean," she said. "We want to make sure that they go out in the healthiest condition possible."

Sept. 8, 2001 – Architect Doug White has ratcheted up his effort to register his $12,000 GEM electric car with the Motor Vehicles Bureau by circulating a petition addressed to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
"I want to bring attention to the problem," he said.
He calls his campaign "Free EV-1." He says EV-1 stands for "electric vehicle No. 1," because if he is ever successful, it will be the first one registered in the Virgin Islands.
The petition asks the governor to "please help to bring the Virgin Islands into the 21st century by instructing the director of Motor Vehicles to allow zero emission, environmentally friendly electric cars to be driven in the Virgin Islands."
Signatures to the petition were being collected at the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce Business Expo on Friday and Saturday at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center, where White had the car on display so people could see it and learn about how it operates. He also was planning to put copies of the petition in public-access places around St. Thomas, where his office and residence are, and on St. John, where he spends a fair amount of time working.
White has been trying for a year and a half to register the vehicle, with no success. He drove it for a while with the Puerto Rico dealer plates, but when he got a ticket for driving an unregistered vehicle, he had to give it up.
The Motor Vehicles Bureau director, Lawrence Olive, was not in his office Friday. He has said previously that White cannot register the GEM vehicle because it does not meet the requirements for motor vehicles to be operated on the roads.
However, GEM sales and marketing director Mike Clevenger said that in 1998 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration created a new classification of "Low Speed Vehicles" and established safety guidelines for them, guidelines which the GEM vehicle meets. These include operation on the roads at a minimum speed of 20 mph and a maximum of 25 mph.
"It's the first new class of vehicles in 67 years," Clevenger said.
He said some states were at first reluctant to register the vehicles but most have slowly been coming around. In some cases, legislatures passed laws making the registration of such vehicles legal, he said, and today the cars are legal in 38 states and Puerto Rico on streets where the speed limit is 35 mph or less.
And, Clevenger said, he expects the remaining 12 states to make them legal by the end of the year. "It's a no-brainer," he said.
The top legal speed on any road or highway in the Virgin Islands, except for Queen Mary Highway on St. Croix, is 35 mph.
In White's opinion, electric cars are perfect for use in the territory. With a home on St. Thomas's East End, he used his GEM car mainly to drive to and from the Red Hook ferry dock. He also took it on the barge to St. John, where he used it for jaunts around Cruz Bay. "I replaced about 80 percent of the driving in my SUV with this car," he said.
White, who runs the car off solar panels screwed to the roof, said he gets about five miles per hour of sunshine.
Calling the denial of vehicle registration absurd, he said he wishes he didn't have to make such an effort to get the GEM car legally recognized. However, he hopes that once the Motor Vehicles Bureau sees the light, other people in the Virgin Islands will buy similar cars.
The GEM is manufactured by Global Electric Motors, a division of Daimler/Chrysler. White said Ford Motor Co. plans to come out with a similar car that goes a little faster than the 21 mph he can reach. He said if the government continues to refuse to let him register the car, he plans to take the issue to court.
A precedent for registration of non-traditional mini-cars was set on St. John some years ago. Retired teacher Doris Jadan regularly drives her gas-driven golf cart around Cruz Bay. While she initially had no trouble registering the vehicle — as a motorcycle — back in 1979, police officials in the early 1990s gave her trouble.
After Jadan gathered 700 signatures on a petition asking that she be allowed once again to register the vehicle, police relented.

Sept. 9, 2001 — The V.I. Justice Department may soon attain a goal it has been pursuing for decades — to bring its correctional facilities in line with a federal order — according to Attorney General Iver Stridiron.
Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee in Frederiksted on Saturday, Stridiron said that the department’s addition of 280 beds at the Golden Grove Correctional Facility on St. Croix in February, which brought the total to approximately 600, resolved the overcrowding issue spelled out in a consent decree between the U.S. and V.I. Justice Departments some 17 years ago.
The expansion allowed the V.I. government to bring approximately 140 local prisoners back to the territory from mainland jails, Stridiron, whose department oversees the Corrections Bureau, said. That move, earlier this year, spurred the federal government to forgive the territory’s mainland incarceration debt of nearly $10 million and ended the $130,000-a-month cost of having the prisoners housed off island.
"For too long, the Bureau of Corrections has been a stepchild," Stridiron said. "But in this administration, it is being given the attention that is required." Because of that, Stridiron said, the federal judge overseeing the consent decree may well be ready to bring it to an end.
"I think that by the end of this year, we might see the end to that order," he said.
Meanwhile, Stridiron asked that the Finance Committee increase his department’s budget for Fiscal Year 2002 from the governor’s recommendation of about $25 million to $29 million. The budget is split among Justice, Corrections and the Division of Paternity and Child Support.
Stridiron said the additional money is needed to hire more prison guards and prosecutors. He said he is looking to hire seven new prosecuting attorneys and two more more attorneys for the Paternity and Child Support Division.
Also at the Finance Committee meeting Saturday, officials of the Finance Department, Office and Management and Budget and Internal Revenue Bureau asked the committee chair, Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, to rethink her calls for further property tax-amnesty periods.
Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull said that in order for her department needs to collect the approximately $50 million in outstanding property-tax bills, the government cannot continue to run amnesty periods. Turnbull and Hansen agreed to end the next amnesty in November, after unionized government employees get their step increases in October.
Louis Willis, IRB director, noted that his bureau, and not the Finance Department, should be responsible for the collection of property taxes.

Sept. 8, 2001 – If the territory were fueled with the economic energy emanating from the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 2001 on Friday and Saturday, the governor and Legislature wouldn't have to worry about balancing the budget.
Under the massive roof of the new Sports and Fitness Center on the University of the Virgin Islands' St. Thomas campus, almost 60 exhibitors displayed their wares and touted their services. The offerings covered a lot of ground, too: espresso, electric boats, ice cream, computers, banks, cookies, counter tops, pest control, hotel accommodations, automated-teller machines, legal services, consulting services, cellular phones, rustic furniture and much, much more.
Along with business exhibitors, the American Red Cross, the Humane Society of St. Thomas, Rotary International and the U.S. Postal Service had informational booths. So did St. Croix's Hovensa refinery, with personnel handing out information in an outreach to tell people how the company is set up and what it provides the Virgin Islands community.
UVI had two booths, one promoting its proposed research technology park, the other displaying information about the services of its Small Business Development Center.
Almost hidden behind two laptop computers and one desktop model sat Granville Smith, chief of computer operations for the Internal Revenue Bureau. He seemed in good spirits in light of recent publicity about the IRB not issuing tax-credit checks. Smiling, he said he wasn't getting a lot of flak about that, but people were stopping by because they "just want to look up their tax records, see them on the computer."
Most exhibitors were giving away raffle prizes — candles, cellular phones, hotel stays, signs, hot sauce — which kept the chamber's Priscilla Hintz busy calling off winning ticket numbers every hour. On Friday afternoon, Leona Bryant of WVWI Radio did her "Leona" talk show on location, interviewing participants and viewers.
Saturday featured three free seminars: "Home Decorating in the Caribbean," "The Power of Direct Mail Marketing" and "Opening Doors to Home Ownership." In the decorating area, Felipe Ayala of Silk Greenery led about 20 students on a whirlwind tour of what to do with fanciful items from that enterprise, owned by Toni Jackson. "No item should only serve one function," he said, displaying a tray as a tray and a tray as a wall hanging.
While the objective was selling themselves to walk-in customers, some exhibitors struck some deals of their own. Mary Simpson and Catherine Willey-Rowe of St. Croix, who just started Caribbean Business Solutions/Caribbean Dispensing ATM's, became intrigued by an electric boat at the next booth. Simpson, a water enthusiast and boat owner, couldn't take her eyes off the bright green and white launch about 35 feet long with a canvas canopy. "We're talking to the dealer about taking it to St. Croix," she said. "What a nice way to go to Buck Island!"
Joe Aubain, chamber executive director, set Friday's attendance by 3 p.m. at about 750 and called it "phenomenal." This is the first expo the chamber has had in two years, Aubain said from behind the Humane Society counter, where he was spelling board member/volunteer Claudia LaBorde for a few minutes. "This venue is wonderful," he said. "The UVI staff has been great … The community affairs department and Peter Sauer, director of the center, have helped so much."
Basic booth space went for $400, Aubain said, and there were three aisles chock full. There was a festive atmosphere, with balloons everywhere and friends greeting one another while stopping to compare notes.
University President Orville Kean and his wife Juliette, representing Banco Popular, and UVI's St. Thomas campus chancellor, Roy Watlington, were in evidence both days, mingling with the crowd and taking obvious pride in the new center.
Wearing one of the biggest grins was Randy Shaffer of Ace Sign Inc., who had signs from every restaurant and bar imaginable on display. "I sold $2,000 before 10 a.m. to the other vendors," he said Friday, "and another $7,000 to customers this afternoon." He stopped grinning to muse, "I was too busy before. What'll I do now?"
A crowd bunched up to munch chips with salsas, cream cheese and chutney at a colorful display representing a new collaborative endeavor of three local entrepreneurs. Called Caribbean Made Gifts, its product line is group-order baskets for corporate and individual gifts.
The three partners — Cheryl Miller of Cheryl's Taste of Paradise, on St. John; and Gail Garrison of Island Fragrance and Jason Budson of Caribbean Herbals, both on St. Thomas — will maintain their individual operations, too. But for the expo, they were three for one, and from the crowds around their booth, it appeared to be a good one.
Lawyer Tom Bolt offered an opinion free of charge: "I'm really happy to see the number of new businesses," he said. "It's an excellent opportunity for them. I didn't even know some of these consulting services — KPMG and Star Consulting — were on island."
Pointing to a corner filled with brightly colored pottery, pillows and pine furniture, Bolt said, "That's great stuff." Proprietor Roy Hall of Casa Rustica explained that his store had just opened in the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel. "This is wonderful exposure, just wonderful," he said of the expo.
Sandy Davis of Grandma Sandy's Island Cookie Co. & More was still cheerful Saturday after having given away more than 100 dozen cookies on Friday. "It's worth it," she said. "Once they taste them, they'll be back."
Tom Brunt of MSI Building Supplies, the immediate past president of the chamber, said, "It's great, a good venue. There's a good cross section of people — I've never seen law firms and accounting firms before." He added, "Sales aren't the issue here. It's the exposure."
The expo was sponsored by Business World, Chase Manhattan Bank, Cingular Wireless, EVC Motors Co., Innovative and Knight Quality Stations.

Sept. 8, 2001 – The Virgin Islands' tropical Caribbean locale, which bewitched Christopher Columbus centuries ago and continues to nurture its tourist industry today, can attract another industry which could be the key to the territory's economic survival tomorrow.
Dr. Orville Kean, University of the Virgin Islands president, told a St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce luncheon gathering Friday that UVI has a vision which could make the V.I. the nexus of international telecommunications.
Addressing the group at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center, which was the scene of the 2001 Chamber Business Expo Friday and Saturday, Kean spoke of UVI's plans for a research and technology park — plans which he said have been in the works for more than two years.
In partnership with the global telecommunications companies already enticed to the Virgin Islands' shores, Kean said, UVI envisions the development of a world-class, mixed-use park and "incubator facility" that will spur economic development. He said there would actually be two parks, one on St. Thomas and one on St. Croix, with the "initial thrust on St. Croix."
Most mainland states as well as the nations of Europe and Asia recognize that higher education is the key to economic success, Kean said, and to this end they have begun to pump significant resources into public institutions in the areas of technology, entrepreneurial training and research and development parks.
He said the word "park" could be misleading, as a part of it exists in cyberspace — it's virtual. The key components of the research and technology park, he said, are:
– A web-hosting segment enabling e-commerce businesses to have a virtual presence in the park.
– A business component, creating a home base for software development and knowledge-based companies.
– An incubator facility to enable individuals with business ideas to convert them into viable operations.
– A network of job training activities, including degree programs, student internships, work force training and school-to-work programs.
The park will engender a strong partnering of UVI, industry and government to create information-age opportunities, Kean said, creating a "special synergy" to accommodate pollution-free development that won't overtax the local infrastructure.
A major attraction of the park, in Kean's eyes, is the opportunity it offers students, and other Virgin Islanders, for high-paying, challenging careers within the territory.
The first steps essential to development of the park, he said, are the passage of legislation and the establishing of a legal framework of tax incentives. Others are the securing of reliable, cost-effective broad-band connectivity and power, and the assurance of a business-friendly environment with government backing.
UVI believes, Kean said, that the tax incentives now offered to businesses can effectively be employed by the park to generate tangible benefits for the territory. He said investment in buildings and infrastructure is projected to exceed $7.5 million in the next four years, generating at least 240 high-technology jobs. The number of jobs would reach 1,750 over 10 to 15 years, he said, and the park would grow to occupy some 320,000 square feet over a 20-year period.
In dollar terms, Kean said, by its fourth year, the park would generate almost $18 million a year in payrolls, which would generate $3.5 million in personal income taxes. He said the government would derive additional revenue from franchise taxes, license fees and other corporate taxes.
"Cybersuites" for conducting e-commerce will offer the territory a lucrative way to replace the lost revenue from foreign sales corporations, Kean said. FSC's were outlawed nationally this year, costing the Virgin Islands millions of dollars annually.
Kean emphasized his belief that any economic plan for the territory should include the park as its main vehicle for building a high-tech economy. And he said it could become a reality within two years.
His message was well received by the audience, which included the chamber president, John de Jongh Jr.; UVI faculty and board members; and a cross-section of the business community including Tom Brunt of MSI Building Supplies, Adriane Dudley of Dudley Clark and Chan Attorneys, Mary Gleason of Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort; and Claudia LaBorde of AT&T.
Dudley asked Kean what sorts of businesses had expressed interest in the park. He declined to name names but said, "There are partners waiting, software and product-development companies."
Kean announced earlier this year that he will retire next fall after more than 30 years in higher education, all of them at the College / University of the Virgin Islands and 12 of them as its president.
Hesitant on Friday to say what he feels proudest about as president, he gazed around the new Sports and Fitness Center. "This certainly is an accomplishment," he said, "but it illustrates what we have done — turning adversity into opportunity."
The center sits on the site — in fact, on the foundation — of the old UVI field house, a relic from the mid-1900s Navy presence on the island and a casualty of Hurricane Marilyn. Also in the aftermath of the hurricane, Kean said, "We've rebuilt the greathouse on the St. Croix campus, restored its physical and architectural beauty, put in a new cafeteria. On St. Thomas, we have put in a new dorm and a water-production plant. And we've done this in spite of underfunding in our government allotments."
So, his pride, he says, is in "when something goes wrong, turning it into an opportunity, and adding a new measure of respect and recognition to the school."
And after retirement, Kean said, "No, I'm not going to write my memoirs. I'm going to spend time with my wife and parents and grandchildren, do some landscaping, reading. What I'm going to do is enjoy being free from the embrace of the clock."
Pondering the future a little further, he added with a satisfied expression, "And I'll be able to retire while I'm at the top of my game."

Sept. 8, 2001 – The second of three public presentations of the plans to rehabilitate Rothschild Francis "Market" Square attracted a small turnout but a goodly number of suggestions Friday evening at the Historic Preservation Office on Government Hill.
And that pleased the architects in charge of the project.
"We want genuine public support," said John Daniels, principal of the Yssis Group, the architectural firm selected by the Historic Preservation Office to lead the project. His partner, Chaneel Callwood-Daniels, told the audience Friday evening, "There is no ceiling to what you can suggest."
The suggestions put forth then and there ranged from redirection of traffic to the types of goods that should be sold at the bungalow and elsewhere in the square. Attorney and community activist Edith Bornn expressed the view that Market Square should be for the sale of "locally made products only." As examples, she cited fresh fish, farm produce, crafts and other traditional items such as guavaberry rum and cane juice.
Most others in attendance were in agreement with Bornn, urging a ban on T-shirts and other items not representative of Virgin Islands traditions.
In the first phase of the rehabilitation project:
– Utility lines at the square will be buried underground.
– All sewage facilities will be removed and replaced.
– Concrete pavers that look like the old yellow ballast bricks that once formed the roadway will replace the asphalt around the square and on Main Street between 75 Corner (the intersection by Sts. Peter and Paul School) and the Enid M. Baa Library.
– Stone gutters will be reintroduced, both to alleviate flooding in the area and to prevent parking on sidewalks.
– Trees, historic-style street lamps and a fountain will be installed.
The plans call for eliminating both vehicular traffic through the square and parking within the area. Motorists on Main Street would have to turn north onto Kanal Gade at 75 Corner in order to access Back Street and Fireburn Hill. East-west traffic on Main Street and Back Street would not be changed.
The general consensus Friday was that the plan is a good one. Among the concerns raised were who would be responsible for maintaining the area once the improvements are made, and how problems such as crime and dilapidated buildings in the area can be addressed.
"The plan is fine, but the neighborhood has to complement what you're doing," Bornn said. "There's a lack of will to police these areas."
Felipe Ayala Jr. of the St. Thomas Historical Trust cited several buildings in the area that he said badly need renovation, with some of them close to "falling into the street." He suggested that the plans encompass rehabilitation of these structures as well as others nearby that are unique examples of Savan architecture.
The project is being funded entirely by the Federal Highway Administration. Daniels said the budget is still being developed. He suggested that the owners of buildings by the square consider converting them into visitor-oriented centers where people could get directions, use restrooms and make telephone calls, or even into parking lots.
The third and final public meeting is scheduled for Sept. 15, at a location to be announced. A site in the Garden Street area is being considered to encourage the participation of people in that and other neighborhoods within walking distance of Market Square.
After that, Callwood-Daniels said, the Yssis Group will compile input from the three meetings and illustrate ideas for a display that will be set up for public viewing over a 30-day period. A formal public hearing will follow. She said she expects construction to get under way by the end of this year.
For more information, contact the Historic Preservation Office at 776-8605.