Aug. 10, 2001 – V.I. Fire Services got a $1.6 million boost this week which will lay the groundwork for one new fire station and provide personnel and renovations for three others that currently are closed — the Dorothea and Fortuna/Bordeaux facilities on St. Thomas and the Cotton Valley station on St. Croix.
The $1.6 million supplemental appropriation signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull along with other funds will be "seed money" for the creation of a new central facility that will replace the old "hotel fire station" alongside Fort Christian, Ian Williams Sr., Fire Services director, said
"We've been working on this," Williams said of the plan to relocate the in-town station. "It's a matter of full commitment to begin the project." He said the agency is eyeing government-owned property in the Ross-Taarneberg area at the foot of Pollyberg Hill for the new facility.
And it won't just be a fire station, Williams said. "It will be our administrative offices and training academy, and I would like to see the emergency medical technicians there, too."
What's needed is "a structure that will look to the future," he added. "We have more money in the Asset Recovery Fund. It's just a matter of the scope of work " He said Fire Services has been working with the Public Works Department on the design and site of the facility.
As far as rehabilitating the closed stations, "We will be doing the Dorothea station first," Williams said. He said Fire Services has the funds needed to reopen the North Side St. Thomas facility. Residents and community groups have protested the years-long shutdown of the station on Crown Mountain Road.
"We have $500,000 to hire an additional 11 firefighters to open the Fortuna station," on the island's West End, "but we will do Dorthea first, because it is more ready to be opened," he said.
He has targeted November for the reopening. "It depends on the hiring and training of the new firefighters," he said. The facility now there can be used, he said, until a new station is constructed –for which Fire Services "may need more money."
The supplemental appropriation provides $300,000 for construction of the Fortuna/Bordeaux station, which Williams said will be started as soon as the Dorothea station is reopened.
For the Cotton Valley station on St. Croix's East End, Fire Services has received $160,000 for a new pumper truck and $200,000 to hire six firefighters.
Williams said he also has received a grant of $241,780 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a new fleet of fire trucks and pumpers.
"We have already sent a proposal to lease 10 new fire trucks for the territory to Commissioner [Marc] Biggs at Property and Procurement," he said. "We have already made contact to make these projects a reality."
With all of these efforts in the works as hurricane season is in full swing, "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have to stop," Williams said

Aug. 10, 2001 – V.I. Fire Services got a $1.6 million boost this week which will lay the groundwork for one new fire station and provide personnel and renovations for three others that currently are closed — the Cotton Valley station on St. Croix and the Dorothea and Fortuna/Bordeaux facilities on St. Thomas.
The $1.6 million supplemental appropriation signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull along with other funds will be "seed money" for the creation of a new central facility that will replace the old "hotel fire station" alongside Fort Christian, Ian Williams Sr., Fire Services director, said
"We've been working on this," Williams said of the plan to relocate the in-town station. "It's a matter of full commitment to begin the project." He said the agency is eyeing government-owned property in the Ross-Taarneberg area at the foot of Pollyberg Hill for the new facility.
And it won't just be a fire station, Williams said. "It will be our administrative offices and training academy, and I would like to see the emergency medical technicians there, too."
What's needed is "a structure that will look to the future," he added. "We have more money in the Asset Recovery Fund. It's just a matter of the scope of work " He said Fire Services has been working with the Public Works Department on the design and site of the facility.
For the Cotton Valley station on St. Croix's East End, Fire Services has received $160,000 for a new pumper truck and $200,000 to hire six firefighters.
As far as rehabilitating the closed St. Thomas stations, "We will be doing the Dorothea station first," Williams said. He said Fire Services has the funds needed to reopen the North Side St. Thomas facility. Residents and community groups have protested the years-long shutdown of the station on Crown Mountain Road.
"We have $500,000 to hire an additional 11 firefighters to open the Fortuna station," on the island's West End, "but we will do Dorothea first, because it is more ready to be opened," he said.
He has targeted November for that reopening. "It depends on the hiring and training of the new firefighters," he said. The facility now there can be used, he said, until a new station is constructed –for which Fire Services "may need more money."
The supplemental appropriation provides $300,000 for construction of the Fortuna/Bordeaux station, which Williams said will be started as soon as the Dorthea station is reopened.
Williams said he also has received a grant of $241,780 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a new fleet of fire trucks and pumpers.
"We have already sent a proposal to lease 10 new fire trucks for the territory to Commissioner [Marc] Biggs at Property and Procurement," he said. "We have already made contact to make these projects a reality."
With all of these efforts in the works as hurricane season is in full swing, "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have to stop," Williams said

Aug 10, 2001 – The attorney for the developers of the proposed $500 million Seven Hills Beach Resort and Casino on St. Croix says that, based on Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's veto this week of video lottery terminal enabling legislation, they have decided not to pull out of the territory.
Robin Bay Associates LLC is prepared to move forward immediately as soon as the Legislature acts on a rezoning bill, according to Jeffrey Moorhead, attorney for the firm. Moorhead said Sens. Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Vargrave Richards introduced a rezoning bill in July and he hopes to see it "fast tracked." A public hearing is required, Moorhead noted.
The developers had said they would call off their development plans if the VLT bill was allowed to become law. Robin Bay and other casino developers vehemently opposed introduction of VLT's, saying they would be in direct competition with casino gaming. They also said the 24th Legislature's having voted twice this year to bring video lottery into the territory displayed instability, one thing the gambling community cannot live with.
Moorhead said his clients want to be assured there will be no more "makeshift intrusion" of the V.I. casino gaming law.
Eileen Petersen, the Casino Control Commission chair; Bernie Burkholder, chief executive of the Divi Casino — the only casino in operation in the territory; and others in the business community also spoke out against the video gaming legislation being sent to the governor again in July, after Turnbull had vetoed it in May.
It appears unlikely that the Senate will have the necessary 10 votes to override the governor's second veto. The legislation was first introduced in April by Sen. Emmett Hansen II, who himself subsequently asked Turnbull to veto the bill after learning more about its "possible negative effect on the community."
The bill first made its appearance in the Senate as a handwritten amendment to other legislation at a full session on April 10. It was offered by Hansen and Sen. Carlton Dowe, and the motion was seconded by Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole.
Sen. Celestino A. White Sr. introduced the more recent bill, which was hidden in the massive supplemental appropriations bill and never voted upon separately as an amendment. Cole and Sen. David Jones have publicly endorsed the measure in the last week.
Hansen and Sen. Vargrave Richards have spoken out against the bill and possible attempts at overriding its veto. Richards has introduced legislation requiring that a binding referendum be held before the Legislature can approve any future gaming. Richards said his move is intended "to ensure that current and future investors have a margin of security in knowing that their investment(s) will be protected and upheld."
According to Moorhead, "Investors from all over have been calling my office" since the Source published several articles concerning the VLT controversy. He said he has had calls from parties in the Dominican Republic and from the Eastern Caribbean asking him to send his clients there. But "we're not budging," Moorhead said, noting that "the application fee for the rezoning alone was $15,000."

Aug 10, 2001 – The attorney for the developers of the proposed $500 million Seven Hills Beach Resort and Casino on St. Croix says that, based on Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's veto this week of video lottery terminal enabling legislation, they have decided not to pull out of the territory.
Robin Bay Associates LLC is prepared to move forward immediately as soon as the Legislature acts on a rezoning bill, according to Jeffrey Moorhead, attorney for the firm. Moorhead said Sens. Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Vargrave Richards introduced a rezoning bill in July and he hopes to see it "fast tracked." A public hearing is required, Moorhead noted.
The developers had said they would call off their development plans if the VLT bill was allowed to become law. Robin Bay and other casino developers vehemently opposed introduction of VLT's, saying they would be in direct competition with casino gaming. They also said the 24th Legislature's having voted twice this year to bring video lottery into the territory displayed instability, one thing the gambling community cannot live with.
Moorhead said his clients want to be assured there will be no more "makeshift intrusion" of the V.I. casino gaming law.
Eileen Petersen, the Casino Control Commission chair; Bernie Burkholder, chief executive of the Divi Casino — the only casino in operation in the territory; and others in the business community also spoke out against the video gaming legislation being sent to the governor again in July, after Turnbull had vetoed it in May.
It appears unlikely that the Senate will have the necessary 10 votes to override the governor's second veto. The legislation was first introduced in April by Sen. Emmett Hansen II, who himself subsequently asked Turnbull to veto the bill after learning more about its "possible negative effect on the community."
The bill first made its appearance in the Senate as a handwritten amendment to other legislation at a full session on April 10. It was offered by Hansen and Sen. Carlton Dowe, and the motion was seconded by Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole.
Sen. Celestino A. White Sr. introduced the more recent bill, which was hidden in the massive supplemental appropriations bill and never voted upon separately as an amendment. Cole and Sen. David Jones have publicly endorsed the measure in the last week.
Hansen and Sen. Vargrave Richards have spoken out against the bill and possible attempts at overriding its veto. Richards has introduced legislation requiring that a binding referendum be held before the Legislature can approve any future gaming. Richards said his move is intended "to ensure that current and future investors have a margin of security in knowing that their investment(s) will be protected and upheld."
According to Moorhead, "Investors from all over have been calling my office" since the Source published several articles concerning the VLT controversy. He said he has had calls from parties in the Dominican Republic and from the Eastern Caribbean asking him to send his clients there. But "we're not budging," Moorhead said, noting that "the application fee for the rezoning alone was $15,000."

The Public Finance Authority Board of Directors will meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 17, at the Office of the Governor on St. Thomas.

The Rotary Club of St. Thomas II will meet at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort. Dr. Iris Kern will be the guest speaker. The topic will be a Virgin Islands presence at the "World Conference Against Racism" in Durban, South Africa scheduled for Aug. 30.

The Rotary Club of St. Thomas II will meet at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort.
The guest speaker will be Dr. Iris Kern who will speak about a Virgin Islands presence at the "World Conference Against Racism" in Durban, South Africa scheduled for Aug. 30.

Aug. 10, 2001 – The V.I. National Park management reminds park visitors and residents of the regulations regarding pets and horses on park property.
These regulations are intended to protect sensitive wildlife species and other natural resources, as well as the quality of the visitor experience. Sensitive wildlife species, bird and turtle nesting habitats, water quality, cultural resources and public health can all be adversely affected by the improper behavior of pets and horses. Key regulations are:
1. Dogs, cats and horses are not permitted on beaches within the park boundary.
2. Dogs are permitted on roadways in the park but must be kept on a leash at all times.
3. Horses are not permitted on trails within the park.
4. Persons with pets and horses are responsible for immediately picking up and disposing of excrement.
5. Commercial horseback riding and packing operations are not authorized within the park.
Pets running at large may be impounded. For more information on these and other regulations, please call the Chief Ranger's office at 693-3201.

Aug. 9, 2001 – For the last two weeks the vehicle shown in the photograph here has been parked at Mandahl Beach. A neighborhood resident wants to find the owner.
Fred Watts, who lives in the area and walks along the Mandahl Road every morning with his dogs, said, "I first saw it on July 30. I called the police last week. Nothing happened. Today I took these pictures and gave them to the police."
When he went to the police station at the Alexander Farrelly Justice Complex, Watts initially was told to go to Public Works because that is the government agency that deals with derelict cars. But once Watts, a lawyer, explained the situation, he was told by the policewoman to whom he gave the pictures that something would be done.
Watts said while the stereo system and license plate have been removed, the vehicle otherwise seems fine. He said the inspection sticker is current and there is a Red Hook parking receipt on the dashboard.
"Maybe someone will recognize their car," he said. "I would be pretty upset if it was my car."
While hopeful that police would take action to find the owner, he contacted the Source in the expectation that publishing a photo of the vehicle might help locate the owner.
Watts said if the police did take action, the car would likely end up impounded. Calls to the police seeking information late Thursday afternoon were not answered.

Aug. 9, 2001 — V.I. Attorney General Iver Stridiron on Wednesday assumed the chairmanship of the Puerto Rico-U.S. Virgin Islands High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA).
Stridiron will head the 20-member HIDTA executive board, which is made up of representatives from local and federal law enforcement agencies from Puerto Rico and the territory. The goal of the task force is to reduce drug smuggling and sales, money laundering, violent crime and gun smuggling in the region.
And such activity is rife. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, 30 percent to 40 percent of the cocaine destined for North America is moved through the Caribbean. The DEA estimates that much of the drugs go through the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
According to the V.I. Attorney General’s office, it is estimated that a significant number of all violent and property crimes on Puerto Rico and in the territory are drug related.
At a briefing Tuesday by the DEA on St. Thomas, Gov. Charles Turnbull and Stridiron both pledged to support the HIDTA effort. Turnbull noted recent legislation that earmarks $200,000 to improve the operation of the V.I. Police Department’s Blue Lightning marine unit.
Stridiron said the approximately $2 million allocated to HIDTA will be used to strengthen operations in the region.