Aug. 28, 2001 – For the third year, Rotary East members delivered goodie bags filled with supplies such as reading books, copy books, crayons and pencils to first graders at four elementary schools on St. Thomas.
The goodie bags were received by students Tuesday at Dober Elementary School, Jane E. Tuitt Elementary School, Evelyn Marcelli Elementary School and Peace Corps Elementary School.
The bags are funded by donations from businesses in the community, friends of Rotary East, the Human Services Department and Rotary Club of St. Thomas East. Next year, the goal is to supply the bags to all the schools on St. Thomas and St. John, according to Rotary East member Corinne Van Rensselaer.
ALL 3 BRYAN SHOOTING SUSPECTS SURRENDER
Aug. 29, 2001 – All three suspects in the shooting death of Kaunda Bryan, 25, turned themselves in to police at the Patrick Sweeney Headquarters around 8 a.m. Wednesday, where they were interrogated and processed. They were to be transferred later in the day to the Golden Grove Detention Center.
An advice of rights hearing for all three is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at Territorial Court on St. Croix, Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said.
"They all arrived together, accompanied by their parents," Francis said. "It all took place without incident."
The three were identifed by police earlier as Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26, and Blaine Claxton, 22, of Castle Coakley; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18, of the Harvey housing community. Police had said earlier that the suspects were being sought on first-degree murder and weapons charges.
According to Francis, police were not notified in advance that the three planned to surrender Wednesday morning. "But we had activated a special team that had made contact with their families last evening and let them know we were searching for them and that it would be in their best interests to come in," he said. All arrived with their parents, and none was accompanied by legal counsel, he said.
Bryan, the son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, was fatally shot Sunday near the Texaco service station in Estate Betty's Hope. The shooting reportedly occurred when an argument at an impromptu horse race on the scene escalated into gunfire. Shot once in the chest, Bryan was pronounced dead shortly before noon Sunday at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
An advice of rights hearing for all three is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at Territorial Court on St. Croix, Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said.
"They all arrived together, accompanied by their parents," Francis said. "It all took place without incident."
The three were identifed by police earlier as Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26, and Blaine Claxton, 22, of Castle Coakley; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18, of the Harvey housing community. Police had said earlier that the suspects were being sought on first-degree murder and weapons charges.
According to Francis, police were not notified in advance that the three planned to surrender Wednesday morning. "But we had activated a special team that had made contact with their families last evening and let them know we were searching for them and that it would be in their best interests to come in," he said. All arrived with their parents, and none was accompanied by legal counsel, he said.
Bryan, the son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, was fatally shot Sunday near the Texaco service station in Estate Betty's Hope. The shooting reportedly occurred when an argument at an impromptu horse race on the scene escalated into gunfire. Shot once in the chest, Bryan was pronounced dead shortly before noon Sunday at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
HEALTH OFFICIALS MAKE PLEAS FOR MORE FUNDING
Aug. 29, 2001 — V.I. Department of Health and St. Croix Juan F. Luis Hospital officials on Tuesday once again told senators of the dire need for funding nursing positions in the territory.
The shortage of nurses is not a new issue, as health officials have repeatedly been before different Senate committees over the last year describing the need. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee heard of the desperate situation first hand as officials from the St. Croix hospital and the Health Department sought their share of funding for the next fiscal year.
"We have hit rock bottom, rock bottom. It is unsafe," said Eglantine Romney, head nurse and clinical care coordinator at JFL Hospital. "God forbid we get a disaster. I don’t know what would happen."
Darice Plaskett, vice president of nursing services at JFL Hospital, said there is a need for 66 registered nurses, 46 licensed practical nurses, 29 certified nursing assistants, 13 unit secretaries, two clinical care coordinators and one head nurse. She said that a critical shortage of nurses on the mainland is affecting the situation in the territory, particularly when other jurisdictions can offer signing bonuses of between $3,000 and $10,000.
The JFL Hospital is able to pay staff nurses a total of $1,000 in retention bonuses, said the hospital’s CEO Thomas Robinson.
"We are so desperate to meet these needs we would do almost anything," he said.
Acting Health Commissioner Mavis Matthew, meanwhile, said her department needs $27.6 million for FY 2001 in order to fill local and federally funded staff positions. Of the department’s 784 budgeted positions, 255 are empty.
Additionally, Matthew said the department will undertake a wide range of capital improvement projects, among them a major renovation of the Charles Harwood Medical Complex in Christiansted, repairs to the Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic in Frederiksted, and purchasing four new ambulances for Emergency Medical Services.
Meanwhile, JFL Hospital officials urged senators to fully fund their $16.7 million budget request. Nellon Bowry, the hospital’s chief financial officer, told senators that the government’s funding of the facility has dropped each year since 1998, when it received $20.2 million. The hospital received $21.2 million in 1999, $18.9 million in 2000 and $16.5 in 2001.
Robinson noted that St. Thomas’ Roy Lester Schneider Hospital has "managed to maintain or increase" its level of funding over the same period.
The shortage of nurses is not a new issue, as health officials have repeatedly been before different Senate committees over the last year describing the need. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee heard of the desperate situation first hand as officials from the St. Croix hospital and the Health Department sought their share of funding for the next fiscal year.
"We have hit rock bottom, rock bottom. It is unsafe," said Eglantine Romney, head nurse and clinical care coordinator at JFL Hospital. "God forbid we get a disaster. I don’t know what would happen."
Darice Plaskett, vice president of nursing services at JFL Hospital, said there is a need for 66 registered nurses, 46 licensed practical nurses, 29 certified nursing assistants, 13 unit secretaries, two clinical care coordinators and one head nurse. She said that a critical shortage of nurses on the mainland is affecting the situation in the territory, particularly when other jurisdictions can offer signing bonuses of between $3,000 and $10,000.
The JFL Hospital is able to pay staff nurses a total of $1,000 in retention bonuses, said the hospital’s CEO Thomas Robinson.
"We are so desperate to meet these needs we would do almost anything," he said.
Acting Health Commissioner Mavis Matthew, meanwhile, said her department needs $27.6 million for FY 2001 in order to fill local and federally funded staff positions. Of the department’s 784 budgeted positions, 255 are empty.
Additionally, Matthew said the department will undertake a wide range of capital improvement projects, among them a major renovation of the Charles Harwood Medical Complex in Christiansted, repairs to the Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic in Frederiksted, and purchasing four new ambulances for Emergency Medical Services.
Meanwhile, JFL Hospital officials urged senators to fully fund their $16.7 million budget request. Nellon Bowry, the hospital’s chief financial officer, told senators that the government’s funding of the facility has dropped each year since 1998, when it received $20.2 million. The hospital received $21.2 million in 1999, $18.9 million in 2000 and $16.5 in 2001.
Robinson noted that St. Thomas’ Roy Lester Schneider Hospital has "managed to maintain or increase" its level of funding over the same period.
ALL 3 BRYAN SHOOTING SUSPECTS SURRENDER
Aug. 29, 2001 – All three suspects in the shooting death of Kaunda Bryan, 25, turned themselves in to police at the Patrick Sweeney Headquarters around 8 a.m. Wednesday, where they were interrogated and processed. They were to be transferred later in the day to the Golden Grove Detention Center.
An advice of rights hearing for all three is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at Territorial Court on St. Croix, Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said.
"They all arrived together, accompanied by their parents," Francis said. "It all took place without incident."
The three were identifed by police earlier as Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26, and Blaine Claxton, 22, of Castle Coakley; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18, of the Harvey housing community. Police had said earlier that the suspects were being sought on first-degree murder and weapons charges.
According to Francis, police were not notified in advance that the three planned to surrender Wednesday morning. "But we had activated a special team that had made contact with their families last evening and let them know we were searching for them and that it would be in their best interests to come in," he said. All arrived with their parents, and none was accompanied by legal counsel, he said.
Bryan, the son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, was fatally shot Sunday near the Texaco service station in Estate Betty's Hope on St. Croix. The shooting reportedly occurred when an argument at an impromptu horse race on the scene escalated into gunfire. Shot once in the chest, Bryan was pronounced dead shortly before noon Sunday at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
An advice of rights hearing for all three is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at Territorial Court on St. Croix, Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said.
"They all arrived together, accompanied by their parents," Francis said. "It all took place without incident."
The three were identifed by police earlier as Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26, and Blaine Claxton, 22, of Castle Coakley; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18, of the Harvey housing community. Police had said earlier that the suspects were being sought on first-degree murder and weapons charges.
According to Francis, police were not notified in advance that the three planned to surrender Wednesday morning. "But we had activated a special team that had made contact with their families last evening and let them know we were searching for them and that it would be in their best interests to come in," he said. All arrived with their parents, and none was accompanied by legal counsel, he said.
Bryan, the son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, was fatally shot Sunday near the Texaco service station in Estate Betty's Hope on St. Croix. The shooting reportedly occurred when an argument at an impromptu horse race on the scene escalated into gunfire. Shot once in the chest, Bryan was pronounced dead shortly before noon Sunday at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
THREE SUSPECTS NAMED IN BRYAN SHOOTING DEATH
Aug. 29, 2001 — Three suspects have been identified in the shooting death of 25-year-old Kaunda Bryan on St. Croix last Sunday.
The three are Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26; Blaine Claxton, 22; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18. Blake and Claxton live in Castle Coakley and Williams is a resident of the Harvey housing community, according to St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis.
Bryan, son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, reportedly was shot after an argument at an impromptu "matched" horse race in Betty’s Hope escalated into guns being fired. Bryan was shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead around noon at Juan Luis Hospital.
The suspects have been charged with first-degree murder and weapons violations. Blake is 5 feet 10, weighs about 140 pounds and has dreadlocks. Claxton is 5 feet 8 and has a shaved head. No descriptive information was available on Williams.
Bryan’s funeral is scheduled for noon Friday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Christiansted. Viewing is at 11 a.m.
The three are Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26; Blaine Claxton, 22; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18. Blake and Claxton live in Castle Coakley and Williams is a resident of the Harvey housing community, according to St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis.
Bryan, son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, reportedly was shot after an argument at an impromptu "matched" horse race in Betty’s Hope escalated into guns being fired. Bryan was shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead around noon at Juan Luis Hospital.
The suspects have been charged with first-degree murder and weapons violations. Blake is 5 feet 10, weighs about 140 pounds and has dreadlocks. Claxton is 5 feet 8 and has a shaved head. No descriptive information was available on Williams.
Bryan’s funeral is scheduled for noon Friday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Christiansted. Viewing is at 11 a.m.
DAY CARE CENTER HAD 7 CHILDREN AT ITS CLOSING
Aug. 28, 2001 – The Human Services Department closed its Cruz Bay Day Care Center on Aug. 10 because with declining enrollment it was no longer cost effective to keep it open, Human Services Commissioner Sedonie Halbert said at a meeting at the Legislature Building Tuesday.
At the time of its closing, the center was serving seven children. Its operating budget was $172,000 a year, funded by the local government, while it was bringing in about $20,000 in fees from parents.
Teacher's aide Beverly Hendricks said there were five people on a waiting list for day care, a statement that puzzled Halbert. The commissioner said she was unaware of anyone waiting for space and asked, "Why would there be a waiting list and declining enrollment?" She and several Human Services staff members said they had never seen a waiting list.
However, a poll of the nearly three dozen people who attended the meeting turned up 28 children needing day care. Halbert said the department had not assessed the need for day care in St. John because enrollment at the day care center had dropped over the past several years.
Hendricks said the number of children enrolled at the center was low because some of the former participants were transferred to Head Start. She later said the day care center had room for 30 children.
Halbert said she would need to look at the needs of the children on a waiting list before determining what should be done. Some of those children may be eligible for the federally funded Head Start program. Children must be 3 years of age to enter Head Start, and their parents must meet low-income criteria.
The day care center on St. John was the last one in the territory still being operated by Human Services. The facilities on St. Thomas and St. Croix were closed in 1994, with the eligible children moved to Head Start programs. A federal government program that subsidizes private day care for eligible children filled in the gaps.
St. John parents are eligible for the same subsidy. But several parents at the meeting said the island's two private day care centers — one at Pine Peace School and the other run by the Methodist Church — are filled up. They also said Head Start has no space. Care is available from people who provide baby-sitting services in their homes, but several mothers said they wanted an educational experience for their children, rather than baby-sitting.
"When he was at school, he was way ahead," said Tina Krigger, whose 2 ½-year-old son had attended the day care center. Several parents said that private day care is too expensive for their budget. Parent Akila Smith said she had to quit one of her two jobs because she no longer had day care for her child.
The meeting had been called by Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, but he was unable to attend due to being called off island. Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole filled in.
At the time of its closing, the center was serving seven children. Its operating budget was $172,000 a year, funded by the local government, while it was bringing in about $20,000 in fees from parents.
Teacher's aide Beverly Hendricks said there were five people on a waiting list for day care, a statement that puzzled Halbert. The commissioner said she was unaware of anyone waiting for space and asked, "Why would there be a waiting list and declining enrollment?" She and several Human Services staff members said they had never seen a waiting list.
However, a poll of the nearly three dozen people who attended the meeting turned up 28 children needing day care. Halbert said the department had not assessed the need for day care in St. John because enrollment at the day care center had dropped over the past several years.
Hendricks said the number of children enrolled at the center was low because some of the former participants were transferred to Head Start. She later said the day care center had room for 30 children.
Halbert said she would need to look at the needs of the children on a waiting list before determining what should be done. Some of those children may be eligible for the federally funded Head Start program. Children must be 3 years of age to enter Head Start, and their parents must meet low-income criteria.
The day care center on St. John was the last one in the territory still being operated by Human Services. The facilities on St. Thomas and St. Croix were closed in 1994, with the eligible children moved to Head Start programs. A federal government program that subsidizes private day care for eligible children filled in the gaps.
St. John parents are eligible for the same subsidy. But several parents at the meeting said the island's two private day care centers — one at Pine Peace School and the other run by the Methodist Church — are filled up. They also said Head Start has no space. Care is available from people who provide baby-sitting services in their homes, but several mothers said they wanted an educational experience for their children, rather than baby-sitting.
"When he was at school, he was way ahead," said Tina Krigger, whose 2 ½-year-old son had attended the day care center. Several parents said that private day care is too expensive for their budget. Parent Akila Smith said she had to quit one of her two jobs because she no longer had day care for her child.
The meeting had been called by Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, but he was unable to attend due to being called off island. Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole filled in.
ISLAND GETS A FIRE BOAT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK
Aug. 28, 2001 – Thanks to a cooperative effort, St. John now has a fire boat. At a ceremony Tuesday, V.I. National Park officials formally turned one of the park's older 22-foot Boston Whalers over to V.I. Fire Services.
Brian Chapman, deputy fire chief for St. John, said he expects the boat to go into service by December. It needs between $3,000 and $4,000 worth of safety and firefighting equipment to make it usable for fighting fires. Fire Services Director Ian Williams Sr. said his agency will cover the costs of the equipment.
"We've always cooperated unofficially, but this is a new level of cooperation," park Deputy Supt. Judy Shafer said at the ceremony, held at the national park Visitor Center in Cruz Bay.
The boat has been named the Gail Benjamin in honor of a St. Thomas junior firefighter who died in a fire at her Tutu home while trying to save her brother. The accident happened in the early 1980s when Gail was in her early teens.
While the potential for a fire disaster at sea has always existed, the need became more apparent when the barge Roanoke, also called Tuglife, and the Caribe Tide ferry collided in March. While there was no fire, the accident brought the possibility to the forefront. Around the same time, a charter boat anchored in the Cruz Bay harbor caught fire.
Shafer said the park, which does not have its own firefighting equipment, has always relied on Fire Services to battle any blazes within the park. Both she and Chapman marveled that the entire donation process, including going through local government channels, took only about two months.
Williams took the opportunity at the ceremony to put out a call for St. John residents to apply for firefighter positions. He said 16 positions are open on St. John and St. Thomas.
Brian Chapman, deputy fire chief for St. John, said he expects the boat to go into service by December. It needs between $3,000 and $4,000 worth of safety and firefighting equipment to make it usable for fighting fires. Fire Services Director Ian Williams Sr. said his agency will cover the costs of the equipment.
"We've always cooperated unofficially, but this is a new level of cooperation," park Deputy Supt. Judy Shafer said at the ceremony, held at the national park Visitor Center in Cruz Bay.
The boat has been named the Gail Benjamin in honor of a St. Thomas junior firefighter who died in a fire at her Tutu home while trying to save her brother. The accident happened in the early 1980s when Gail was in her early teens.
While the potential for a fire disaster at sea has always existed, the need became more apparent when the barge Roanoke, also called Tuglife, and the Caribe Tide ferry collided in March. While there was no fire, the accident brought the possibility to the forefront. Around the same time, a charter boat anchored in the Cruz Bay harbor caught fire.
Shafer said the park, which does not have its own firefighting equipment, has always relied on Fire Services to battle any blazes within the park. Both she and Chapman marveled that the entire donation process, including going through local government channels, took only about two months.
Williams took the opportunity at the ceremony to put out a call for St. John residents to apply for firefighter positions. He said 16 positions are open on St. John and St. Thomas.
PARK SEEKS TO FENCE OUT DONKEYS AT CAMPGROUND
Aug. 29, 2001 – The V.I. National Park will make its case Wednesday evening for installing a barbed-wire fence around Cinnamon Bay Campground in order to keep out roaming donkeys.
Park officials will present their plan at a Coastal Zone Management Committee hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Legislature Building in Cruz Bay. The public is invited to attend the meeting and is encouraged to provide input.
The park's deputy superintendent, Judy Shafer, said that the park needs the fence to keep out the donkeys that roam the island freely. For many years, the animals have caused problems at the campground, often invading garbage cans and harassing campers.
A CZM permit is necessary for the fence to be installed.
Park officials will present their plan at a Coastal Zone Management Committee hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Legislature Building in Cruz Bay. The public is invited to attend the meeting and is encouraged to provide input.
The park's deputy superintendent, Judy Shafer, said that the park needs the fence to keep out the donkeys that roam the island freely. For many years, the animals have caused problems at the campground, often invading garbage cans and harassing campers.
A CZM permit is necessary for the fence to be installed.
MARINES ANNOUNCE TOYS FOR TOTS GOLF TOURNEY
The St. Croix Marine Corps Association will hold its 6th Annual "Toys For Tots" Golf Tournament on Sept. 30, 2001.
Toys For Tots, a U.S. Marine Corps tradition for more than 55 years, has the mission of insuring that no needy child goes without a toy for Christmas. The program distributes an estimated 7 million toys nationwide.
Marines in the territory distributed over 700 toys last Christmas to such local charities as The American Red Cross, Angel Tree, The Women's Coalition and others.
"Every penny raised for the event goes to the purchase and distribution of toys," said former Marine Corps officer and local businessman Carl Gotts, who serves as the St. Croix association’s executive director. "We can always depend on the tremendous support of the St. Croix business community and the golfers who make it all possible."
This year’s tournament will once again be held at the Carambola Golf Course with a 0830 tee time. That's 8:30 a.m. for civilians. The entry fee is $ 85.00 per golfer, which includes a goodie bag, lunch buffet, chances for raffle prizes, Hole-in-One prizes and a great morning of golf.
The format will be a four-person scramble with a shotgun start. Call the Carambola Pro Shop at 778-5638 to register or Gotts at 719-4065, Cell# 771-0486. Semper Fi!
Toys For Tots, a U.S. Marine Corps tradition for more than 55 years, has the mission of insuring that no needy child goes without a toy for Christmas. The program distributes an estimated 7 million toys nationwide.
Marines in the territory distributed over 700 toys last Christmas to such local charities as The American Red Cross, Angel Tree, The Women's Coalition and others.
"Every penny raised for the event goes to the purchase and distribution of toys," said former Marine Corps officer and local businessman Carl Gotts, who serves as the St. Croix association’s executive director. "We can always depend on the tremendous support of the St. Croix business community and the golfers who make it all possible."
This year’s tournament will once again be held at the Carambola Golf Course with a 0830 tee time. That's 8:30 a.m. for civilians. The entry fee is $ 85.00 per golfer, which includes a goodie bag, lunch buffet, chances for raffle prizes, Hole-in-One prizes and a great morning of golf.
The format will be a four-person scramble with a shotgun start. Call the Carambola Pro Shop at 778-5638 to register or Gotts at 719-4065, Cell# 771-0486. Semper Fi!
THREE SUSPECTS NAMED IN BRYAN SHOOTING DEATH
Aug. 29, 2001 — Police have identified three suspects in the shooting death of Kaunda Bryan, 25, on St. Croix Sunday.
The three are Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26; Blaine Claxton, 22; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18. Blake and Claxton live in Castle Coakley, and Williams is a resident of Harvey housing community, according to St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis.
Bryan, son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, was reportedly shot after an argument at an impromptu "matched" horse race in Betty’s Hope escalated into guns being fired. Bryan, shot once in the chest, was pronounced dead around noon at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
Police said the suspects are wanted for first-degree murder and weapons charges. Blake is 5 feet 10, weighs about 140 pounds and has dreadlocks. Claxton is 5 feet 8 and has a shaved head. No description of Williams was available.
Bryan’s funeral is scheduled for noon Friday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Christiansted, with viewing from 11 a.m.
The three are Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26; Blaine Claxton, 22; and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18. Blake and Claxton live in Castle Coakley, and Williams is a resident of Harvey housing community, according to St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis.
Bryan, son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, was reportedly shot after an argument at an impromptu "matched" horse race in Betty’s Hope escalated into guns being fired. Bryan, shot once in the chest, was pronounced dead around noon at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
Police said the suspects are wanted for first-degree murder and weapons charges. Blake is 5 feet 10, weighs about 140 pounds and has dreadlocks. Claxton is 5 feet 8 and has a shaved head. No description of Williams was available.
Bryan’s funeral is scheduled for noon Friday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Christiansted, with viewing from 11 a.m.
