Concluding a two-part series
July 3, 2001 — While most states are considering banning Internet gambling –- with a few already having done so -– the U.S. Virgin Islands and Nevada are betting the other way, despite untested legal ground and efforts in Congress to prohibit interactive gaming outright.
Opponents in Congress cite the difficulty of regulating online gambling and controlling access by minors, and also concern about gamblers squandering their money with the click of a mouse. Proposed legislation would make it illegal for players to pay for online gambling and would update the Wire Communications Act of 1961, which prohibits games of chance and sports betting over telephone lines.
Efforts in Congress to ban Internet gaming are not new. Several bills generated in the last three years have failed. And the Wire Act is very much open to debate.
Those realities, plus the belief of supporters in the industry that online gaming can be regulated, are spurring the Virgin Islands and Nevada to venture where some 60 countries have already gone to reap the billions of dollars generated each year from Internet gambling: cyberspace.
Testing legal grounds
The Wire Control Act is not clear in regard to the Internet in general, according to Frederick Handleman, solicitor general for the V.I. Justice Department and legal counsel to the V.I. Casino Control Commission. But it is clear on sports betting, which is illegal.
If the law on Internet gambling is "crystal clear, why does the United States Congress feel there is a need to ban it?" Handleman said. "Even Congress knows it’s an area open to interpretation." That, he noted, is a main reason the Virgin Islands and Nevada are pressing ahead with their efforts, adding, "Do you not act because something is nebulous?"
In Nevada, the state’s Gaming Control Commission will likely work with the U.S. Department of Justice to determine whether Internet gaming is legal or not, gaming consultant Frank Catania said. Then the commission will decide it if can be regulated.
"It’s going to take a little bit of time, no doubt," Catania, a former director of New Jersey's Gaming Enforcement Division, said. "It’s realistic to say it’s not going to happen in a year. A guess is 12 to 18 months."
In the meantime, the Virgin Islands is free to press on with its Internet gaming legislation in the hope of getting it on the books before Congress acts. The thinking is that if Congress were to prohibit online gambling after the territory had legalized it, the territory's law would be grandfathered in, as was the case with Nevada and its legalized sports betting under provisions in the Wire Act.
"I’ve heard that postulated before, especially since things are shifting so much," said Sue Schneider, an Internet gaming consultant who chairs the Interactive Gaming Council. "I don’t think that’s a scenario that is outside the realm of consideration."
Considering the stakes
What makes the idea of Internet gambling tricky for any American jurisdiction is that it is essentially illegal. But that didn’t stop the 3.5 million Americans who contributed to the approximately $2.2 billion spent worldwide on Internet gambling last year. Of the billions of dollars waged, Schneider said, 50 percent to 70 percent came from players in the United States.
What that says is that very few off-shore Internet gaming firms are concerned about accepting wagers from places with prohibitions, especially when international Internet gaming revenue is projected to reach $10 billion for 2005. Many online gaming countries and their operators say they are committed to keeping out U.S. bettors by requiring customers to fax a form of identification or by relying on technology to verify players’ country of origin through their Internet service provider. But many others are not.
That could pose a problem for law-abiding jurisdictions such as the Virgin Islands and Nevada. If the majority of current players are in the United States, essentially, then, the only places they could take business from are within their own boundaries or countries outside the United States that don’t prohibit Internet gaming.
"Nevada is the first to pass it to know where a player is from," Schneider said. "Still, the bulk of players are in the United States."
Handleman, meanwhile, said that even though the legality of Internet gaming in the United States is, at best, fuzzy, the Virgin Islands can go ahead and enact its legislation and then tax gaming firms doing business in the territory. But for the Virgin Islands to remain a respected player in the gaming industry, he added, those operators can’t accept money from the biggest market -– the U.S. mainland.
Handleman said his personal opinion is that the stakes are too high not to act. He noted that by the time the Virgin Islands legalized land-based casinos, it was the end of the boom and gambling was an amenity about as exotic as a swimming pool.
"Right now we are poised to take the lead" on Internet gaming, he said. "Rather than pick up the droppings from the cart, we could be driving the cart."
PSC EXTENDS WAPA SURCHARGES, PLANS RATE STUDY
July 3, 2001 — While the Public Services Commission didn’t approve electric billing surcharge changes and two rate adjustments requested by the Water and Power Authority on Friday, it did extend the current surcharges at their present rates through August 2002.
WAPA approached the PSC Friday with three requests, all of which it had submitted in writing on May 15:
– To incorporate four current surcharges into the base rate.
– To increase the "fuel component" of the base rate by 0.75 cent per kilowatt hour, which it said would have the effect of lowering the separate "levelized energy adjustment" surcharge on customers' bills.
– To keep the current levelized energy adjustment rate of 4.9361 cents per kwh in place through the first half of Fiscal Year 2000, then reduce it to 2.472 cents for the second half of that fiscal year.
The four surcharges are listed as "waste heat recovery boiler," "asbestos abatement," "emergency rate increase," and "payment in lieu of taxes." These were originally instituted "to resolve certain specific and timely issues," a WAPA release said, and "some of these issues have run their course."
Last September, the PSC rejected an April 2000 WAPA request for a base rate increase. Instead, the commission extended the existing surcharges to July 1 of this year.
On Friday, two days before July 1, the PSC did not grant any of the WAPA requests, saying a rate study is needed first. Instead, it voted to extend the current surcharges again, this time through August 2002. The extension includes the energy adjustment surcharge at its current rate.
According to a WAPA release, an increase in the fuel component of the base rate is intended to recover not only current fuel expenses but also increased costs which were had not been recovered from previous periods. The energy adjustment, instituted to cover fuel costs higher than those included in WAPA's base rate, is recalculated every six months based on the market price of oil. WAPA submits proposed fuel charges to the PSC for review before implementation.
With an increase in the fuel component rate, the release said, unless there are significant changes in oil prices, consumption and other factors, "customers should see a reduction" in charges for the energy adjustment portion of their bills.
At Friday’s meeting, Joseph Thomas, WAPA’s executive director, said because the price of oil is dropping slightly on world markets, maintaining the level of the energy adjustment surcharge will allow the utility to keep its revenues from dropping. He said WAPA needs to do this because it is behind in its payments to Hovensa, its oil supplier.
According to the WAPA release, the requested rate adjustments "represent dollars that are vital to WAPA’s ability to provide service and meet its present debt service coverage."
WAPA approached the PSC Friday with three requests, all of which it had submitted in writing on May 15:
– To incorporate four current surcharges into the base rate.
– To increase the "fuel component" of the base rate by 0.75 cent per kilowatt hour, which it said would have the effect of lowering the separate "levelized energy adjustment" surcharge on customers' bills.
– To keep the current levelized energy adjustment rate of 4.9361 cents per kwh in place through the first half of Fiscal Year 2000, then reduce it to 2.472 cents for the second half of that fiscal year.
The four surcharges are listed as "waste heat recovery boiler," "asbestos abatement," "emergency rate increase," and "payment in lieu of taxes." These were originally instituted "to resolve certain specific and timely issues," a WAPA release said, and "some of these issues have run their course."
Last September, the PSC rejected an April 2000 WAPA request for a base rate increase. Instead, the commission extended the existing surcharges to July 1 of this year.
On Friday, two days before July 1, the PSC did not grant any of the WAPA requests, saying a rate study is needed first. Instead, it voted to extend the current surcharges again, this time through August 2002. The extension includes the energy adjustment surcharge at its current rate.
According to a WAPA release, an increase in the fuel component of the base rate is intended to recover not only current fuel expenses but also increased costs which were had not been recovered from previous periods. The energy adjustment, instituted to cover fuel costs higher than those included in WAPA's base rate, is recalculated every six months based on the market price of oil. WAPA submits proposed fuel charges to the PSC for review before implementation.
With an increase in the fuel component rate, the release said, unless there are significant changes in oil prices, consumption and other factors, "customers should see a reduction" in charges for the energy adjustment portion of their bills.
At Friday’s meeting, Joseph Thomas, WAPA’s executive director, said because the price of oil is dropping slightly on world markets, maintaining the level of the energy adjustment surcharge will allow the utility to keep its revenues from dropping. He said WAPA needs to do this because it is behind in its payments to Hovensa, its oil supplier.
According to the WAPA release, the requested rate adjustments "represent dollars that are vital to WAPA’s ability to provide service and meet its present debt service coverage."
GOVERNMENT FINISHES ANOTHER AUDIT
July 3, 2001 — To stay in good standing with the federal government -– and the law — the Turnbull administration has completed an audit and financial report for 1999.
Federal law requires the V.I. government to conduct annual audits of federal program money pumped into the territory. Last year federal funds totaled approximately $120 million.
Additionally, the local government is supposed to conduct a full financial audit of itself. But before Gov. Charles Turnbull took office in January 1999, the V.I. government had completed just one audit in the previous 14 years.
Faced with the possibility of losing federal funds, or having "burdensome strings attached" to the money, Turnbull said, he made conducting the undone audits a priority to bring the territory into full compliance with the Single Audit Act by the end of 2002. Audits for Fiscal Years 1994, 1995, 1998 and 1999 are done. The next phase will be completing audits for 2000 by next January and for 2001 by November 2002.
One area threatened with having federal grant funds cut off due to lack of accountability was the Education Department’s special education program. The U.S. Education Department had been holding back millions of dollars of federal grant money because of the poor accounting. With the completion of the audits, federal education officials agreed to release $9 million in special education funds to the territory and to drop special conditions they had imposed earlier.
"Sometimes it’s hard for people to draw a connection between the need to meet these federal requirements and their everyday lives," Turnbull said in a release. "But it is important to remember that no one is going to give us, or lend us, money without accountability."
Turnbull said the administration is negotiating with federal agencies to conduct simplified audits for Fiscal Years 1996 and 1997. That would make the territory current and bring it into full compliance by the end of 2002.
Federal law requires the V.I. government to conduct annual audits of federal program money pumped into the territory. Last year federal funds totaled approximately $120 million.
Additionally, the local government is supposed to conduct a full financial audit of itself. But before Gov. Charles Turnbull took office in January 1999, the V.I. government had completed just one audit in the previous 14 years.
Faced with the possibility of losing federal funds, or having "burdensome strings attached" to the money, Turnbull said, he made conducting the undone audits a priority to bring the territory into full compliance with the Single Audit Act by the end of 2002. Audits for Fiscal Years 1994, 1995, 1998 and 1999 are done. The next phase will be completing audits for 2000 by next January and for 2001 by November 2002.
One area threatened with having federal grant funds cut off due to lack of accountability was the Education Department’s special education program. The U.S. Education Department had been holding back millions of dollars of federal grant money because of the poor accounting. With the completion of the audits, federal education officials agreed to release $9 million in special education funds to the territory and to drop special conditions they had imposed earlier.
"Sometimes it’s hard for people to draw a connection between the need to meet these federal requirements and their everyday lives," Turnbull said in a release. "But it is important to remember that no one is going to give us, or lend us, money without accountability."
Turnbull said the administration is negotiating with federal agencies to conduct simplified audits for Fiscal Years 1996 and 1997. That would make the territory current and bring it into full compliance by the end of 2002.
SALT SHAKER WINS JUNE MOON TOURNAMENT
July 3, 2001 – Big fish, big money: Those were the lures for creating the June Moon tournament last year, and they worked again for the second annual competition, held last weekend and hosted by the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club.
A 107-inch blue marlin — two inches longer than the minimum required — caught by St. Thomas angler Stewart Loveland on the first day of fishing earned the $36,000 prize for the captain, crew and anglers aboard Salt Shaker, Capt. Eddie Wettengel's 48-foot Monterey.
Fishing with fellow anglers Michael and Brian Wettengel — Capt. Eddie's son and grandson, respectively –Loveland got his bite mid-morning Friday. "I snaked the rod and reeled it in," he said. Snaking the rod in this case means stealing it away. Normally, anglers switch off on rods by a set order of hourly rotations to assure everyone gets an equal chance. But this event is also known for its minimum of official rules, which adds to the excitement.
The Salt Shaker crew held a stick out to the big blue and determined it big enough for a prize. Loveland also hooked a bigger fish on Sunday, but lost it.
Although the eight boats in the tournament did see several blue marlin, underscoring that marlin season has definitely started, it was only Loveland's big blue that was prizeworthy in this event. The prize money was awarded out of the $5,000 boat entry fees after the fishing club took its 10 percent.
The tournament took its name from last year's premiere event, which was held at the time of the full moon. This year's June full moon, on the 5th, was too early to attract gamefishing boats coming down for marlin season from Florida; the July moon, also on the 5th, will occur during this year's July Open Offshore Tournament, a weekend event which has been fished on or around the Fourth of July since the mid-1960s.
The next Virgin Islands Gamefishing Club event is the July Open for youngsters, on the Fourth of July.
Then comes the July Open, Friday through Sunday. This will be the first time in the tournament's nearly four decades that an all-release format is used, meaning that all blue marlin that are caught will be released. To register or obtain more information, call 775-9144.
A 107-inch blue marlin — two inches longer than the minimum required — caught by St. Thomas angler Stewart Loveland on the first day of fishing earned the $36,000 prize for the captain, crew and anglers aboard Salt Shaker, Capt. Eddie Wettengel's 48-foot Monterey.
Fishing with fellow anglers Michael and Brian Wettengel — Capt. Eddie's son and grandson, respectively –Loveland got his bite mid-morning Friday. "I snaked the rod and reeled it in," he said. Snaking the rod in this case means stealing it away. Normally, anglers switch off on rods by a set order of hourly rotations to assure everyone gets an equal chance. But this event is also known for its minimum of official rules, which adds to the excitement.
The Salt Shaker crew held a stick out to the big blue and determined it big enough for a prize. Loveland also hooked a bigger fish on Sunday, but lost it.
Although the eight boats in the tournament did see several blue marlin, underscoring that marlin season has definitely started, it was only Loveland's big blue that was prizeworthy in this event. The prize money was awarded out of the $5,000 boat entry fees after the fishing club took its 10 percent.
The tournament took its name from last year's premiere event, which was held at the time of the full moon. This year's June full moon, on the 5th, was too early to attract gamefishing boats coming down for marlin season from Florida; the July moon, also on the 5th, will occur during this year's July Open Offshore Tournament, a weekend event which has been fished on or around the Fourth of July since the mid-1960s.
The next Virgin Islands Gamefishing Club event is the July Open for youngsters, on the Fourth of July.
Then comes the July Open, Friday through Sunday. This will be the first time in the tournament's nearly four decades that an all-release format is used, meaning that all blue marlin that are caught will be released. To register or obtain more information, call 775-9144.
MARY ANN GODFREY DEAD AT 65
July 3, 2001 – Mary Ann Godfrey, 65, long-time St. Thomas resident, died May 15 in Decatur, Ga. after a year- long battle with kidney cancer.
Mary Ann was an avid world traverler and a lover of life. She was an excellent cook and was known for her orphans Thanksgivings and Christmas dinners. Fluent in French, she taught French at Charlotte Amalie High School. During the 70s, while living in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa, she taught English as a second language to French speaking children. She also taught private French and piano lessons in St. Thomas.
Mary Ann is survived by her sons, Scott Godfrey, of St. Thomas, Owen Godfrey, of Jacksonville, Fla., her daughter Anne Godfrey, of Ft. Worth, Texas, her devoted ex-husband, Harry Godfrey, of Decatur, daughter-in-law, Tara Godfrey and grand daughter, Megan Godfrey, as well as many other relatives and friends. A private memorial service is being planned for July 8.
Mary Ann was an avid world traverler and a lover of life. She was an excellent cook and was known for her orphans Thanksgivings and Christmas dinners. Fluent in French, she taught French at Charlotte Amalie High School. During the 70s, while living in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa, she taught English as a second language to French speaking children. She also taught private French and piano lessons in St. Thomas.
Mary Ann is survived by her sons, Scott Godfrey, of St. Thomas, Owen Godfrey, of Jacksonville, Fla., her daughter Anne Godfrey, of Ft. Worth, Texas, her devoted ex-husband, Harry Godfrey, of Decatur, daughter-in-law, Tara Godfrey and grand daughter, Megan Godfrey, as well as many other relatives and friends. A private memorial service is being planned for July 8.
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JAMES WINS SUPPORT FOR DISASTER INSURANCE
July 2, 2001 – Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II returned from the annual meeting of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors with several votes of confidence to his credit.
He was elected to chair the organization's Eastern Region for the coming year — which will end next June with the NCLG holding its 2002 annual meeting on St. Croix.
James introduced and was successful in winning the adoption of a resolution calling for Congress to establish a federal insurance program to protect individuals in disaster-prone states and territories against catastrophic losses from natural disasters.
The conference membership also voted to promote the establishment of a federal reinsurance program, so as to enhance and improve state insurance programs created in response to natural disasters.
At an executive committee meeting, according to a release from James's office, the lieutenant governor stressed that because of rising insurance costs and diminished capacity, homeowners in disaster-prone areas have had, and continue to have, difficulty in obtaining adequate property and casualty coverage from private insurers.
His proposal was co-sponsored by Lt. Govs. Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, Charles Fogarty of Rhode Island, Jesus Sablan of the Northern Marianas, Gary Sherrer of Kansas and Amy Tuck of Mississippi.
He was elected to chair the organization's Eastern Region for the coming year — which will end next June with the NCLG holding its 2002 annual meeting on St. Croix.
James introduced and was successful in winning the adoption of a resolution calling for Congress to establish a federal insurance program to protect individuals in disaster-prone states and territories against catastrophic losses from natural disasters.
The conference membership also voted to promote the establishment of a federal reinsurance program, so as to enhance and improve state insurance programs created in response to natural disasters.
At an executive committee meeting, according to a release from James's office, the lieutenant governor stressed that because of rising insurance costs and diminished capacity, homeowners in disaster-prone areas have had, and continue to have, difficulty in obtaining adequate property and casualty coverage from private insurers.
His proposal was co-sponsored by Lt. Govs. Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, Charles Fogarty of Rhode Island, Jesus Sablan of the Northern Marianas, Gary Sherrer of Kansas and Amy Tuck of Mississippi.
POPULATION UP FROM 1990 BUT DOWN FROM 1995
July 2, 2001 – The population of the Virgin Islands has grown 7 percent since 1990, with the most dramatic increase — 20 percent — on St. John, according to recently released Census 2000 data. However, the 2000 total reflects a decrease of 1,065 residents territory-wide — all attributable to St. Thomas — since 1995, the last time data were collected.
The overall U.S. Bureau of the Census count for 2000 was 108,612, compared to 101,809 in 1990. The V.I. Census Data Center, located within the Eastern Caribbean Center at the University of the Virgin Islands, estimated the 1995 population at 109,677.
Frank Mills, director of the Census Data Center, attributed the downward population shift on St. Thomas to the "destructive" hurricanes in 1995 (Luis and Marilyn), 1996 (Bertha) and 1998 (Georges), which had a "negative impact on the economy."
The 1995 USVI Statistical Yearbook showed St. Thomas with a population of 54,259. In the 2000 edition, the population is shown as 51,181. The 1990 Census data showed the island having a population of 48,166, making for a net gain of 6 percent over the 10-year period.
The only island showing a decrease in population in the Census 2000 data from a decade earlier was Water Island, recorded a drop of 11 people.
St. Croix's population was placed at 53,234 for 2000, up from 50,139 in 1990 and 51,389 in 1995.
St. John's was recorded as 4,197 for 2000, up from 3,504 in 1990 and 4,030 in 1995.
Out-migration from town centers
On both St. Thomas and St. Croix, the 2000 data show that people have migrated in large numbers from the town areas into the "country." Despite the overall territorial increase of 6,803 people, the populations of the towns and surrounding town areas, except for Christiansted, all have dropped in the last decade:
– In the Christiansted subdistrict, the population slipped from 3,199 in 1990 to 2,865. However, in Christiansted town, it rose slightly, by 82 people.
– In Charlotte Amalie town, the population decreased from 12,331 to 11,004. In the surrounding subdistrict area, it decreased from 20,589 in 1990 to 18,914 in 2000.
– In Frederiksted town, the population shrank by 31 percent, from 1,064 to 732. In the subdistrict of Frederiksted, it decreased from 4,066 to 3,767.
St. Croix Chamber of Commerce President Carmelo Rivera attributed the shift from town to county in part to Hurricane Hugo damage that was never repaired. But he said he has mixed feelings about the data in general.
"I can understand the movement out of the towns," he said. "They are dilapidated; urban decay has set in." Plus, he noted, "most of the low-income housing" has been built outside the town areas.
Rivera said he thought the overall increase in population since 1990 might be due to better data collection for 2000. "Remember the last census was taken right after Hugo," which struck in September 1989, he said.
Expressing concerned about properties that were never repaired after the storm devastated St. Croix especially, he said the order should have been "Fix it or lose it."
St. Croix's East End population rose by 35 percent, more than twice the rate of increase for any other area on the island. The next-largest increase was in the Anna's Hope Village subdistrict, where the population increased by 529 people, or 14 percent.
Mills agreed with Rivera's take on the exodus from urban areas, adding that virtually no new construction has taken place in the towns. He also said the outward migration should "send a signal to the planners" that the infrastructure outside the urban areas needs to be upgraded to meet the demand for better roads, more reliable electricity and fire services.
Where has everybody gone?
On St. Thomas, migration went in all directions, with the greatest increase occurring in the West End, where the population increased by 736 people or 56 percent.
Ira Hobson, commissioner of Housing, Parks and Recreation, said the Housing and Finance Authority has built 30 to 40 new homes in Bordeaux over the last 10 years, and this could account for part of the migration.
The North Side of St. Thomas grew from 6,404 to 8,712, or 36 percent, according to the data, and the East End population increased from 5,927 to 7,672, or 29 percent.
John deJongh, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, said, "I don't know what these statistics mean in terms of a trend. Once we have more information, we can begin to analyze the numbers."
On St. John, which is two-thirds V.I. National Park land and therefore has limited development options, the population increase was most dramatic in Coral Bay. The number of people inhabiting the sleepy, remote community on island's east end rose by 79 percent — from 363 in 1990 to 649 in 2000.
To St. John Administrator Julien Harley, it's believable. "You can see it when you go to Coral Bay — new homes on the sides of the hills," he said. Harley attributes the growth to new people coming to St. John. In fact, pondering the overall figure of 4,197 for 2000, he said, "I though we had more people than that."
Harley doesn't think the number includes most of the high-end villa owners who are part-time residents. "If you counted all of them, it would go up another 200 to 300," he said.
In order to have been counted as a resident, Mills said, "you would have had to live here for six months of the year."
Age is a factor worth considering
One crucial aspect of the territory's population not addressed in the initial data released by Government House Monday, Mills said, is "What's happening to the aging of the population?" He predicted that in the next round of statistics, "What we are going to see is we are aging as a population."
Mills said this is typical in a community where the population is increased more by the in-migration of adults than by births. In such cases, he said, the number of elderly persons increases at a much faster rate than otherwise. "It should be obvious that medical and other services for the elderly need attention," he said.
The growing elderly population coupled with a declining birth rate, which started in 1998 and has continued, could spell trouble for the Virgin Islands, Mills said. He explained that when the birth rate drops below 2.2 babies per female in a population, unless there is "an inflow of people from the outside, you won't be able to maintain yourselves."
Thus, an increase in immigration is needed to offset a low birth rate, he said, adding, "And you cannot treat them as though they are not welcome."
In the mid-20th century, the population picture was markedly different for the territory. The 1940 Census showed just 24,889 residents. A decade later, the number had risen to 26,665. But then the development of tourism, the construction of the Hess oil refinery on St. Croix and the influx of new residents from throughout the Eastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland kicked in. From 1960 to 1970, the population nearly doubled, from 32,099 to 62,468. In the next 10 years, it increased as much again, to 96,569 in 1980. Since then, it has fluctuated relatively little up and down, reaching a high of 110,800 in 1985.
Mills said as the federal Census 2000 data continue to reach the territory, statistics will be broken down from subdistricts to blocks. "It will be very interesting," he said.
The overall U.S. Bureau of the Census count for 2000 was 108,612, compared to 101,809 in 1990. The V.I. Census Data Center, located within the Eastern Caribbean Center at the University of the Virgin Islands, estimated the 1995 population at 109,677.
Frank Mills, director of the Census Data Center, attributed the downward population shift on St. Thomas to the "destructive" hurricanes in 1995 (Luis and Marilyn), 1996 (Bertha) and 1998 (Georges), which had a "negative impact on the economy."
The 1995 USVI Statistical Yearbook showed St. Thomas with a population of 54,259. In the 2000 edition, the population is shown as 51,181. The 1990 Census data showed the island having a population of 48,166, making for a net gain of 6 percent over the 10-year period.
The only island showing a decrease in population in the Census 2000 data from a decade earlier was Water Island, recorded a drop of 11 people.
St. Croix's population was placed at 53,234 for 2000, up from 50,139 in 1990 and 51,389 in 1995.
St. John's was recorded as 4,197 for 2000, up from 3,504 in 1990 and 4,030 in 1995.
Out-migration from town centers
On both St. Thomas and St. Croix, the 2000 data show that people have migrated in large numbers from the town areas into the "country." Despite the overall territorial increase of 6,803 people, the populations of the towns and surrounding town areas, except for Christiansted, all have dropped in the last decade:
– In the Christiansted subdistrict, the population slipped from 3,199 in 1990 to 2,865. However, in Christiansted town, it rose slightly, by 82 people.
– In Charlotte Amalie town, the population decreased from 12,331 to 11,004. In the surrounding subdistrict area, it decreased from 20,589 in 1990 to 18,914 in 2000.
– In Frederiksted town, the population shrank by 31 percent, from 1,064 to 732. In the subdistrict of Frederiksted, it decreased from 4,066 to 3,767.
St. Croix Chamber of Commerce President Carmelo Rivera attributed the shift from town to county in part to Hurricane Hugo damage that was never repaired. But he said he has mixed feelings about the data in general.
"I can understand the movement out of the towns," he said. "They are dilapidated; urban decay has set in." Plus, he noted, "most of the low-income housing" has been built outside the town areas.
Rivera said he thought the overall increase in population since 1990 might be due to better data collection for 2000. "Remember the last census was taken right after Hugo," which struck in September 1989, he said.
Expressing concerned about properties that were never repaired after the storm devastated St. Croix especially, he said the order should have been "Fix it or lose it."
St. Croix's East End population rose by 35 percent, more than twice the rate of increase for any other area on the island. The next-largest increase was in the Anna's Hope Village subdistrict, where the population increased by 529 people, or 14 percent.
Mills agreed with Rivera's take on the exodus from urban areas, adding that virtually no new construction has taken place in the towns. He also said the outward migration should "send a signal to the planners" that the infrastructure outside the urban areas needs to be upgraded to meet the demand for better roads, more reliable electricity and fire services.
Where has everybody gone?
On St. Thomas, migration went in all directions, with the greatest increase occurring in the West End, where the population increased by 736 people or 56 percent.
Ira Hobson, commissioner of Housing, Parks and Recreation, said the Housing and Finance Authority has built 30 to 40 new homes in Bordeaux over the last 10 years, and this could account for part of the migration.
The North Side of St. Thomas grew from 6,404 to 8,712, or 36 percent, according to the data, and the East End population increased from 5,927 to 7,672, or 29 percent.
John deJongh, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, said, "I don't know what these statistics mean in terms of a trend. Once we have more information, we can begin to analyze the numbers."
On St. John, which is two-thirds V.I. National Park land and therefore has limited development options, the population increase was most dramatic in Coral Bay. The number of people inhabiting the sleepy, remote community on island's east end rose by 79 percent — from 363 in 1990 to 649 in 2000.
To St. John Administrator Julien Harley, it's believable. "You can see it when you go to Coral Bay — new homes on the sides of the hills," he said. Harley attributes the growth to new people coming to St. John. In fact, pondering the overall figure of 4,197 for 2000, he said, "I though we had more people than that."
Harley doesn't think the number includes most of the high-end villa owners who are part-time residents. "If you counted all of them, it would go up another 200 to 300," he said.
In order to have been counted as a resident, Mills said, "you would have had to live here for six months of the year."
Age is a factor worth considering
One crucial aspect of the territory's population not addressed in the initial data released by Government House Monday, Mills said, is "What's happening to the aging of the population?" He predicted that in the next round of statistics, "What we are going to see is we are aging as a population."
Mills said this is typical in a community where the population is increased more by the in-migration of adults than by births. In such cases, he said, the number of elderly persons increases at a much faster rate than otherwise. "It should be obvious that medical and other services for the elderly need attention," he said.
The growing elderly population coupled with a declining birth rate, which started in 1998 and has continued, could spell trouble for the Virgin Islands, Mills said. He explained that when the birth rate drops below 2.2 babies per female in a population, unless there is "an inflow of people from the outside, you won't be able to maintain yourselves."
Thus, an increase in immigration is needed to offset a low birth rate, he said, adding, "And you cannot treat them as though they are not welcome."
In the mid-20th century, the population picture was markedly different for the territory. The 1940 Census showed just 24,889 residents. A decade later, the number had risen to 26,665. But then the development of tourism, the construction of the Hess oil refinery on St. Croix and the influx of new residents from throughout the Eastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland kicked in. From 1960 to 1970, the population nearly doubled, from 32,099 to 62,468. In the next 10 years, it increased as much again, to 96,569 in 1980. Since then, it has fluctuated relatively little up and down, reaching a high of 110,800 in 1985.
Mills said as the federal Census 2000 data continue to reach the territory, statistics will be broken down from subdistricts to blocks. "It will be very interesting," he said.
WICO’S $30K WILL HELP HERITAGE TRAIL PROJECT
June 26, 2001 – A $30,000 contribution by the West Indian Company Ltd. will keep the development of the St. Croix Heritage Trail on track.
The St. Croix Landmarks Society announced WICO’s donation on Monday, about three months after Heritage Trail coordinators warned the Turnbull administration at the trail’s official opening that if money wasn’t found, the project’s administrative office would have to close. Such a move would have effectively stopped any more work to further enhance the 72-mile long tourism project.
At the official opening of the Heritage Trail in March, Gov. Charles Turnbull, a historian, promised to find the $30,000 to keep the project going. As governor, Turnbull sits on the WICO board of directors.
"The Turnbull administration was instrumental in putting forward this idea to WICO," said George Tyson, the Heritage Trail coordinator. "We are very grateful to WICO for the support. We’ll be active in the next six months."
Edward Thomas, WICO board chairman, said, "The board was most pleased to make this contribution to the St. Croix Landmarks Society. It is our true desire to see cruise tourism improve on the island of St. Croix. We hope that the Heritage Trail project will give impetus to others to create more attractions that can be sold as pre-paid tours."
Heritage Trail staff have been working with the Department of Public Works, the Tourism Department and the private sector on projects designed to enhance the trail as a tourism product and to generate operational revenue.
The Heritage Trail project, which was conceived four years ago, is being funded by $250,000 in federal highway money. Engineers from the Eastern Federal Lands Division of the U.S. Department of Transportation have already visited St. Croix to survey scenic overlook and pullover areas on the trail. Tyson said it is hoped that work on those additions to the trail will be started by the end of the year. Four of the overlooks will be on Scenic Drive West and one will be above Great Pond on the island’s south shore.
In its effort to market St. Croix as a heritage destination, trail staff have already produced 25,000 copies of a Heritage Trail brochure and map and placed directional road signs along the route. Several publications have also featured articles on the island’s newest tourism feature.
"The Heritage Trail is a tourism product that is of great interest to travel writers," Tyson said.
Also in the works is the production of a self-guiding audio tape, training programs for taxi drivers and tour operators, placement of historical markers in Christiansted and Frederiksted, and the establishment of an "Adopt-a-Ruin" program for unmanaged but accessible historic sites such as Anna’s Hope, Diamond School and Great Pond.
"The Trail has recently become one of the most publicized tourism products in the U.S. Virgin Islands," said Nancy Finegood, St. Croix Landmarks executive director. "The Landmarks Society’s Board of Trustees, members and staff are very grateful that WICO has recognized the importance of the Heritage Trail."
The West Indian Company, Ltd. is a cruise lines ships agent and manager of the Havensight Shopping Mall in St. Thomas. The St. Croix Heritage Trail shares office space with Our Town Frederiksted at # 69 King Street. For more information, call 713-8563 or 772-0598.
The St. Croix Landmarks Society announced WICO’s donation on Monday, about three months after Heritage Trail coordinators warned the Turnbull administration at the trail’s official opening that if money wasn’t found, the project’s administrative office would have to close. Such a move would have effectively stopped any more work to further enhance the 72-mile long tourism project.
At the official opening of the Heritage Trail in March, Gov. Charles Turnbull, a historian, promised to find the $30,000 to keep the project going. As governor, Turnbull sits on the WICO board of directors.
"The Turnbull administration was instrumental in putting forward this idea to WICO," said George Tyson, the Heritage Trail coordinator. "We are very grateful to WICO for the support. We’ll be active in the next six months."
Edward Thomas, WICO board chairman, said, "The board was most pleased to make this contribution to the St. Croix Landmarks Society. It is our true desire to see cruise tourism improve on the island of St. Croix. We hope that the Heritage Trail project will give impetus to others to create more attractions that can be sold as pre-paid tours."
Heritage Trail staff have been working with the Department of Public Works, the Tourism Department and the private sector on projects designed to enhance the trail as a tourism product and to generate operational revenue.
The Heritage Trail project, which was conceived four years ago, is being funded by $250,000 in federal highway money. Engineers from the Eastern Federal Lands Division of the U.S. Department of Transportation have already visited St. Croix to survey scenic overlook and pullover areas on the trail. Tyson said it is hoped that work on those additions to the trail will be started by the end of the year. Four of the overlooks will be on Scenic Drive West and one will be above Great Pond on the island’s south shore.
In its effort to market St. Croix as a heritage destination, trail staff have already produced 25,000 copies of a Heritage Trail brochure and map and placed directional road signs along the route. Several publications have also featured articles on the island’s newest tourism feature.
"The Heritage Trail is a tourism product that is of great interest to travel writers," Tyson said.
Also in the works is the production of a self-guiding audio tape, training programs for taxi drivers and tour operators, placement of historical markers in Christiansted and Frederiksted, and the establishment of an "Adopt-a-Ruin" program for unmanaged but accessible historic sites such as Anna’s Hope, Diamond School and Great Pond.
"The Trail has recently become one of the most publicized tourism products in the U.S. Virgin Islands," said Nancy Finegood, St. Croix Landmarks executive director. "The Landmarks Society’s Board of Trustees, members and staff are very grateful that WICO has recognized the importance of the Heritage Trail."
The West Indian Company, Ltd. is a cruise lines ships agent and manager of the Havensight Shopping Mall in St. Thomas. The St. Croix Heritage Trail shares office space with Our Town Frederiksted at # 69 King Street. For more information, call 713-8563 or 772-0598.
PROJECTS UNDER WAY TO UNIFY DOCKSIDE MALLS
July 2, 2001 – Shoppers going to Havensight Mall and/or Port of $ale Mall will find that some things aren't where they used to be, and some things aren't to be seen at all any more. And that, according to the July WICO News bulletin, is all for the better.
A new entrance and exit intended to change the flow of traffic is one of the moves being undertaken to unify the the two adjacent malls along the West Indian Co. docks, the newsletter reported.
Other updates include extending a sidewalk, providing a few additional parking spaces and relocating some fencing.
Meanwhile, the burial of power, telephone and cable television lines has been completed within the WICO complex, with a few remaining power poles to be removed. As a result, "In the event of a general emergency affecting power supply, such as major weather-related damage, down time before restoration of service now would be minimal," the newsletter stated.
A new entrance and exit intended to change the flow of traffic is one of the moves being undertaken to unify the the two adjacent malls along the West Indian Co. docks, the newsletter reported.
Other updates include extending a sidewalk, providing a few additional parking spaces and relocating some fencing.
Meanwhile, the burial of power, telephone and cable television lines has been completed within the WICO complex, with a few remaining power poles to be removed. As a result, "In the event of a general emergency affecting power supply, such as major weather-related damage, down time before restoration of service now would be minimal," the newsletter stated.
