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.
VENUE, EXHIBITORS, CROWDS MAKE EXPO A SUCCESS
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.
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.
KEAN SEES TECHNO PARK AS ECONOMIC ANSWER
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."
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."
IDEAS, CONCERNS SHARED ABOUT MARKET SQUARE
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.
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.
SEASON'S 7TH STORM SYSTEM NO THREAT FOR NOW
Sept. 8, 2001 – A poorly organized tropical depression, the seventh storm system of the Atlantic hurricane season, was being tracked about 595 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands on Saturday.
The depression, which formed Friday afternoon, appeared favorable for development but, like so many systems this year, failed to strengthen. Satellite images on Saturday showed the depression consisting of a broad circulation with a few bands of showers and thundershowers.
Hurricane forecaster Lixion Avila noted that three tropical waves in the Eastern Atlantic are "close to each other and are interfering with each others' inflow."
The 11 a.m. Saturday advisory discontinued earlier projections for a strengthening of the system, at least in the next two days, Avila said. "Only a slight increase in the winds is suggested in the next 72 hours," he said. "Hurricane specialists are speculating that a more than usually stable atmosphere is inhibiting tropical storm development in the Atlantic."
The depression is expected to maintain its westerly track at 16 miles per hour over the next couple of days, Avila said. Its poorly defined center was located near 15.2 degrees north latitude and 33.6 degrees west longitude and was packing sustained winds of 35 miles per hour. On its present track, the tropical depression is expected to remain well to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles and the Windward Islands, according to Knight Quality Stations meteorologist Alan Archer.
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on the tropical depression every six hours.
The depression, which formed Friday afternoon, appeared favorable for development but, like so many systems this year, failed to strengthen. Satellite images on Saturday showed the depression consisting of a broad circulation with a few bands of showers and thundershowers.
Hurricane forecaster Lixion Avila noted that three tropical waves in the Eastern Atlantic are "close to each other and are interfering with each others' inflow."
The 11 a.m. Saturday advisory discontinued earlier projections for a strengthening of the system, at least in the next two days, Avila said. "Only a slight increase in the winds is suggested in the next 72 hours," he said. "Hurricane specialists are speculating that a more than usually stable atmosphere is inhibiting tropical storm development in the Atlantic."
The depression is expected to maintain its westerly track at 16 miles per hour over the next couple of days, Avila said. Its poorly defined center was located near 15.2 degrees north latitude and 33.6 degrees west longitude and was packing sustained winds of 35 miles per hour. On its present track, the tropical depression is expected to remain well to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles and the Windward Islands, according to Knight Quality Stations meteorologist Alan Archer.
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on the tropical depression every six hours.
'A TRAITOR TO MEMORY' WILL WIN LOYAL READERS
A Traitor to Memory
by Elizabeth George
Bantam, 722 pp, $26.99
Sept. 5, 2001 – I count myself among the cult of whodunnit fans who find the genre both intriguing and relaxing. British author Elizabeth George's style doesn't exactly fit into this category, even though she has won a number of prestigious international prizes and awards for "suspense fiction." She writes novels that involve a murder (or murders) that serves as a backdrop for the characters to reveal their strengths, failings and other qualities that allow us to judge them.
At 722 pages in the case of "A Traitor to Memory," you can see she is no slouch. Yet there is not one page, not even a word, that is unnecessary, and once you're caught up in her story, you'll find the end coming far too soon.
Gideon Davies, the protagonist, was a child prodigy. He picked up the violin at age 8 and played like an archangel. Now, at 28, he has hit a brick wall. Stymied by a mental or emotional block, he cannot play a note. With concerts, tapings and personal appearances scheduled, this state of affairs throws all close to him into a blue funk.
We enter Gideon's world in the midst of this disaster and sit in on his sessions with this psychiatrist. A "normal" person would have no inkling of how different the life of a child prodigy is, nor of what a jarringly out-of-focus effect it has on those who share this warped world.
Crimes are about to occur, and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his assistants, Detective Constable Barbara Havers and Police Constable Winston Nkata, enter the picture. Lynley and Havers are well known to Elizabeth George groupies. Lynley has a title (he's an earl) but disdains to use it in this, his chosen field. Several books back, George introduced Nkata, a former London street gang member put back on the straight and narrow.
Gideon's mother, whom he hasn't seen or spoken to for 20 years, is the first victim — killed by a car which backs up and runs over her several times. The story unwinds from there on two tracks. One is in the psychiatrist's office, as Gideon tries to return to the moment in his young life that now has brought his music to a silent halt. The other is at Scotland Yard, where the detectives pursue a winding path seeking to disentangle facts and human behavior and identify the murderer.
The one constant of this thrilling saga is the depth of the characters and the feeling the reader comes to have of knowing — and understanding –each one.
Yasmin, the mother of a 10-year-old son, figures largely as Nkata's investigations progress. Six feet tall, she is physically beautiful except for the scar on her mouth where her husband once hit her with a vase. She killed him in self-defense then served long years in prison for the act. Now, she earns her way by providing wigs for sale or rent to cancer patients who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy.
Danny, her son, has the job of washing the wigs in the bathtub every afternoon, and he's very proud of the good job he does. Nkata likes Yasmin and we get the impression he would like to get to know her. However, her dislike and mistrust of all police limits that desire to Nkata's dreams.
Numerous story lines progress on many levels, taking their turn leaping from the page to meet the reader, and you'll be delighted to return to them, anxious to know what has happened since last you met. This is a book that will absorb your leisure time for a good while. It's adventure filled and beautifully textured throughout. George spins a web of familial intrigue that leaves you wondering and following that magic lantern the storyteller lights to lure the reader.
Gideon and his family are fascinating. One marvels at how a person's values can become so warped, how such weird reasoning can lead an individual to act in such foreign ways. George is astounding, a master of her genre. If you're going there, you may as well go first class.
by Elizabeth George
Bantam, 722 pp, $26.99
Sept. 5, 2001 – I count myself among the cult of whodunnit fans who find the genre both intriguing and relaxing. British author Elizabeth George's style doesn't exactly fit into this category, even though she has won a number of prestigious international prizes and awards for "suspense fiction." She writes novels that involve a murder (or murders) that serves as a backdrop for the characters to reveal their strengths, failings and other qualities that allow us to judge them.
At 722 pages in the case of "A Traitor to Memory," you can see she is no slouch. Yet there is not one page, not even a word, that is unnecessary, and once you're caught up in her story, you'll find the end coming far too soon.
Gideon Davies, the protagonist, was a child prodigy. He picked up the violin at age 8 and played like an archangel. Now, at 28, he has hit a brick wall. Stymied by a mental or emotional block, he cannot play a note. With concerts, tapings and personal appearances scheduled, this state of affairs throws all close to him into a blue funk.
We enter Gideon's world in the midst of this disaster and sit in on his sessions with this psychiatrist. A "normal" person would have no inkling of how different the life of a child prodigy is, nor of what a jarringly out-of-focus effect it has on those who share this warped world.
Crimes are about to occur, and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his assistants, Detective Constable Barbara Havers and Police Constable Winston Nkata, enter the picture. Lynley and Havers are well known to Elizabeth George groupies. Lynley has a title (he's an earl) but disdains to use it in this, his chosen field. Several books back, George introduced Nkata, a former London street gang member put back on the straight and narrow.
Gideon's mother, whom he hasn't seen or spoken to for 20 years, is the first victim — killed by a car which backs up and runs over her several times. The story unwinds from there on two tracks. One is in the psychiatrist's office, as Gideon tries to return to the moment in his young life that now has brought his music to a silent halt. The other is at Scotland Yard, where the detectives pursue a winding path seeking to disentangle facts and human behavior and identify the murderer.
The one constant of this thrilling saga is the depth of the characters and the feeling the reader comes to have of knowing — and understanding –each one.
Yasmin, the mother of a 10-year-old son, figures largely as Nkata's investigations progress. Six feet tall, she is physically beautiful except for the scar on her mouth where her husband once hit her with a vase. She killed him in self-defense then served long years in prison for the act. Now, she earns her way by providing wigs for sale or rent to cancer patients who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy.
Danny, her son, has the job of washing the wigs in the bathtub every afternoon, and he's very proud of the good job he does. Nkata likes Yasmin and we get the impression he would like to get to know her. However, her dislike and mistrust of all police limits that desire to Nkata's dreams.
Numerous story lines progress on many levels, taking their turn leaping from the page to meet the reader, and you'll be delighted to return to them, anxious to know what has happened since last you met. This is a book that will absorb your leisure time for a good while. It's adventure filled and beautifully textured throughout. George spins a web of familial intrigue that leaves you wondering and following that magic lantern the storyteller lights to lure the reader.
Gideon and his family are fascinating. One marvels at how a person's values can become so warped, how such weird reasoning can lead an individual to act in such foreign ways. George is astounding, a master of her genre. If you're going there, you may as well go first class.
Editor's note: Source book reviewer Bette Davis, a longtime St. Thomas resident, notes that all of her reviews are favorable for good reason: "Years ago, I adopted the premise that if I was not hooked by page 51, I would close the book and never look at it again. Life's too short, and too many good ones await."
100 BLACK MEN MEETING
The 100 Black Men of the U.S. Virgin Islands invite all members and prospective members to a meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at James Memorial Funeral Home, 6AA LaGrande Princesse.
For more information contact Gerard Luz James II at 778-9491.
For more information contact Gerard Luz James II at 778-9491.
100 BLACK MEN MEETING
100 Black Men of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Inc.invite all members and prospective members to a meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the James Memorial Funeral Home, 6AA LaGrand Princesse.
For more information contact Gerard Luz James at 778-8491.
For more information contact Gerard Luz James at 778-8491.
PANEL PASSES BILL TO CUT UNEMPLOYMENT TAXES
Sept. 8, 2001 – A step toward shrinking the territory's bloated $58 million Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund was taken Friday by the Senate Labor and Veterans Affairs Committee.
The committee approved a bill which would reduce the minimum required payment to the fund from the current 0.1 percent to zero. The measure also would do away with language which requires businesses with a negative balance to pay 5.4 percent of their taxable payroll into the fund.
The new legislation will bring the Virgin Islands into compliance with federal guidelines requiring only that the fund be maintained at a level higher than the amount of money the territory pays to laid-off workers. If the fund isn't reduced by the end of 2001, the territory risks having the federal government take control of it.
Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel, who chairs the committee, met with U.S. Labor Department officials in Washington, D.C., in June to discuss the matter. She learned that federal Labor and Interior Department officials have known for years that the Virgin Islands has a substantial amount of money in the trust fund. Some expressed surprise that the territory had not sought to tap into the fund before now.
Employers with a negative rating from the preceding year — that is, whose ex-workers drew more benefits than the employer paid in taxes — are assessed unemployment taxes at 5.4 percent on the first $15,000 of each employee's salary. The formula is the same whether a company's account was in the red by $1 or $100,000. At the end of the year, if the taxes they have paid exceed the year's claims levied against them, the rate drops sharply.
The Virgin Islands has the highest unemployment tax in the United States. In other jurisdictions, the experience ratings are handled in more nuanced ways, and their trust funds do not swell excessively. One Washington observer called the V.I. system "inept."
Pickard-Samuel said V.I. employers have "grossly overpaid" the unemployment insurance tax and that the corrective legislation is to halt what she termed a "roller-coaster effect." She said the legislation "will bring relief to this overburdened fund and trickle down to our hard-working government." She also said about 90 percent of all V.I. businesses wouldn't have to pay the tax, and that only employers who aren't current on their tax payments would have to do so.
Much of Friday's long committee meeting was taken up with discussion on an amendment by Pickard-Samuel and Sen. Celestino A. White that would require businesses to pay a surcharge of 0.1 percent into a "Labor Administrative and Training Fund."
The amendment met with strong objections from Attorney General Iver Stridiron; Labor Commissioner Cecil Benjamin; attorney Charles Engeman of the St. Thomas law firm Ogletree Deakins; other labor officials; and all senators except the sponsors and Sen. Norman Jn. Baptiste.
Benjamin said, "We don't want to rush into this surcharge issue." He said employers in the territory shouldn't have additional anxiety and that "We need to look carefully … at such a measure."
Stridiron said the fund might conflict with federal and V.I. law governing use of money deposited in the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Engeman said the surcharge looked like a new tax. "We need relief for the employers, not additional taxes," he said.
"This is not a new tax," Pickard-Samuel retorted. "This is the reduction of a very old tax." She added, "The Department of Labor always wants more time; I am not gong to give you more time. Things are not being taken seriously around here. I am not playing your games any longer."
The amendment died when Sens. Lorraine Berry, Douglas Canton and Vargrave Richards voted against it. The bill itself was approved and sent to the Rules Committee without objection.
Committee members present were Berry, Canton, Jn.-Baptiste, Pickard-Samuel, Richards and White. Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole was absent.
The committee approved a bill which would reduce the minimum required payment to the fund from the current 0.1 percent to zero. The measure also would do away with language which requires businesses with a negative balance to pay 5.4 percent of their taxable payroll into the fund.
The new legislation will bring the Virgin Islands into compliance with federal guidelines requiring only that the fund be maintained at a level higher than the amount of money the territory pays to laid-off workers. If the fund isn't reduced by the end of 2001, the territory risks having the federal government take control of it.
Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel, who chairs the committee, met with U.S. Labor Department officials in Washington, D.C., in June to discuss the matter. She learned that federal Labor and Interior Department officials have known for years that the Virgin Islands has a substantial amount of money in the trust fund. Some expressed surprise that the territory had not sought to tap into the fund before now.
Employers with a negative rating from the preceding year — that is, whose ex-workers drew more benefits than the employer paid in taxes — are assessed unemployment taxes at 5.4 percent on the first $15,000 of each employee's salary. The formula is the same whether a company's account was in the red by $1 or $100,000. At the end of the year, if the taxes they have paid exceed the year's claims levied against them, the rate drops sharply.
The Virgin Islands has the highest unemployment tax in the United States. In other jurisdictions, the experience ratings are handled in more nuanced ways, and their trust funds do not swell excessively. One Washington observer called the V.I. system "inept."
Pickard-Samuel said V.I. employers have "grossly overpaid" the unemployment insurance tax and that the corrective legislation is to halt what she termed a "roller-coaster effect." She said the legislation "will bring relief to this overburdened fund and trickle down to our hard-working government." She also said about 90 percent of all V.I. businesses wouldn't have to pay the tax, and that only employers who aren't current on their tax payments would have to do so.
Much of Friday's long committee meeting was taken up with discussion on an amendment by Pickard-Samuel and Sen. Celestino A. White that would require businesses to pay a surcharge of 0.1 percent into a "Labor Administrative and Training Fund."
The amendment met with strong objections from Attorney General Iver Stridiron; Labor Commissioner Cecil Benjamin; attorney Charles Engeman of the St. Thomas law firm Ogletree Deakins; other labor officials; and all senators except the sponsors and Sen. Norman Jn. Baptiste.
Benjamin said, "We don't want to rush into this surcharge issue." He said employers in the territory shouldn't have additional anxiety and that "We need to look carefully … at such a measure."
Stridiron said the fund might conflict with federal and V.I. law governing use of money deposited in the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Engeman said the surcharge looked like a new tax. "We need relief for the employers, not additional taxes," he said.
"This is not a new tax," Pickard-Samuel retorted. "This is the reduction of a very old tax." She added, "The Department of Labor always wants more time; I am not gong to give you more time. Things are not being taken seriously around here. I am not playing your games any longer."
The amendment died when Sens. Lorraine Berry, Douglas Canton and Vargrave Richards voted against it. The bill itself was approved and sent to the Rules Committee without objection.
Committee members present were Berry, Canton, Jn.-Baptiste, Pickard-Samuel, Richards and White. Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole was absent.
KEAN SEES TECHNO PARK AS ECONOMIC ANSWER
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."
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."
