July 13, 2001 – An unpleasant odor that has been emanating from the wastewater treatment plant in Cruz Bay should subside today.
Ira G. Wade Jr., deputy commissioner for the Department of Public Works on St. John says the process of transferring wastewater from the old St. John treatment plant to the new treatment plant is responsible for the odor and should be completed today.
BACCHANAL ACCOUNT CONVEYED 'A GREAT TIME'
To the Source:
As one who very much enjoyed Bacchanal 1999, as did my wife, Lynn, and who had planned to attend this year until business plans interfered, I have to say that the reaction to the Source's story on Bacchanal 2001 seems a bit overwrought.
To me, your story gave an account of a great time, which Lynn and I regret having missed, and I regard it as pretty good p.r. for the Bacchanal. That there was comment about the bar running out of Heineken otherwise known as Offshore Toothpaste) seems fair reporting to me, and certainly a tribute to the Bacchanalians' good taste. Better to just remember to order more next year, and note that similar tragedies have occurred at more than a few national trade association conventions.
As for the price being a few bucks more this year, what isn't costing more? Not a particularly newsworthy item, but apparently factual. Still, what does it add to the story?
As for the references to a lack of reporting on expenditures, it seems that what the writer may have intended as a depiction of the carefree approach that many volunteer groups have came across as questioning the fiscal responsibility of the event's organizers. I am confident that the Source didn't mean to ascribe to the Bacchanal Committee the historic fiscal artistry of the Virgin Islands government, which has long been the envy of municipal and state governments from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
See you in JAX [Jacksonville] next year.
John Thompson
Fairfax, Va.
As one who very much enjoyed Bacchanal 1999, as did my wife, Lynn, and who had planned to attend this year until business plans interfered, I have to say that the reaction to the Source's story on Bacchanal 2001 seems a bit overwrought.
To me, your story gave an account of a great time, which Lynn and I regret having missed, and I regard it as pretty good p.r. for the Bacchanal. That there was comment about the bar running out of Heineken otherwise known as Offshore Toothpaste) seems fair reporting to me, and certainly a tribute to the Bacchanalians' good taste. Better to just remember to order more next year, and note that similar tragedies have occurred at more than a few national trade association conventions.
As for the price being a few bucks more this year, what isn't costing more? Not a particularly newsworthy item, but apparently factual. Still, what does it add to the story?
As for the references to a lack of reporting on expenditures, it seems that what the writer may have intended as a depiction of the carefree approach that many volunteer groups have came across as questioning the fiscal responsibility of the event's organizers. I am confident that the Source didn't mean to ascribe to the Bacchanal Committee the historic fiscal artistry of the Virgin Islands government, which has long been the envy of municipal and state governments from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
See you in JAX [Jacksonville] next year.
John Thompson
Fairfax, Va.
V.I. BASKETBALL TOPS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TOLUCA, MEXICO – The Virgin Islands, playing in a do-or-die situation, held on to defeat the Dominican Republic, 102-92, Thursday in the Centro Basket Tournament.
Jameel Heywood led a balanced scoring attack and Leon Trimmingham stabilized the defense as the Virgin Islands held after the Dominican Republic made a strong fourth-quarter charge.
"We knew this was a must-win situation," said Trimmingham, a veteran overseas pro who had three blocks to go along with 12 points.
The Virgin Islands improved to 1-1 with one game remaining against Honduras. The Dominican Republic, which beat Honduras on Wednesday, is also 1-1. Puerto Rico beat Honduras on Thursday night in the bracket’s other game.
The top two teams in the bracket will advance to the semifinals to play the top teams in the other bracket.
Heywood, a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma, gave the Virgin Islands a boost in the early going. He scored several inside baskets as the V.I. took a 26-22 lead after the first quarter. The V.I. led 54-36 at the half and 80-59 after three quarters.
The Dominican Republic, led by Jack Martinez’s 25 points, came charging back. At one point, the D.R. came to with seven points with less than a minute remaining.
Each time, the Dominican Republic made a charge, either Trimmingham, Cuthbert Victor, Kevin Sheppard or Calvert White would make a big shot. Victor and White finished with 16 points. Sheppard had 12.
"We knew they would make a charge at the end so we had to be ready," said Trimmingham, a Central High graduate. "No team is going to give up. You are not playing for your team, you are playing for your country."
The Dominican Republic came with 14 with 3:30 remaining. Victor’s long-range 3-pointer gave the V.I. a 94-77 lead with 3:15 remaining. The shot appeared to have sealed the game. The Dominican Republic outscored the V.I. 15-5 to come within 99-92 with 30 seconds remaining.
"We beat a good team," said V.I. coach Tevester Anderson. "We stressed playing tough defense and we played tough defense today."
The Virgin Islands contested every Dominican Republic shot, unlike it did in the tournament opener against Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands players complained about the high-altitude and the loss of breath against Puerto Rico. On Thursday, an oxygen tank was present on the V.I. bench.
The VI also had the presence of Alphonso Niles, who had to sit out against Puerto Rico. The tournament technical committee questioned Nileś eligibility because he was born in New York to V.I. parents. The V.I. federation was able to obtain the birth certificate of Niles mother from his grandmother on St. Thomas.
Jameel Heywood led a balanced scoring attack and Leon Trimmingham stabilized the defense as the Virgin Islands held after the Dominican Republic made a strong fourth-quarter charge.
"We knew this was a must-win situation," said Trimmingham, a veteran overseas pro who had three blocks to go along with 12 points.
The Virgin Islands improved to 1-1 with one game remaining against Honduras. The Dominican Republic, which beat Honduras on Wednesday, is also 1-1. Puerto Rico beat Honduras on Thursday night in the bracket’s other game.
The top two teams in the bracket will advance to the semifinals to play the top teams in the other bracket.
Heywood, a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma, gave the Virgin Islands a boost in the early going. He scored several inside baskets as the V.I. took a 26-22 lead after the first quarter. The V.I. led 54-36 at the half and 80-59 after three quarters.
The Dominican Republic, led by Jack Martinez’s 25 points, came charging back. At one point, the D.R. came to with seven points with less than a minute remaining.
Each time, the Dominican Republic made a charge, either Trimmingham, Cuthbert Victor, Kevin Sheppard or Calvert White would make a big shot. Victor and White finished with 16 points. Sheppard had 12.
"We knew they would make a charge at the end so we had to be ready," said Trimmingham, a Central High graduate. "No team is going to give up. You are not playing for your team, you are playing for your country."
The Dominican Republic came with 14 with 3:30 remaining. Victor’s long-range 3-pointer gave the V.I. a 94-77 lead with 3:15 remaining. The shot appeared to have sealed the game. The Dominican Republic outscored the V.I. 15-5 to come within 99-92 with 30 seconds remaining.
"We beat a good team," said V.I. coach Tevester Anderson. "We stressed playing tough defense and we played tough defense today."
The Virgin Islands contested every Dominican Republic shot, unlike it did in the tournament opener against Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands players complained about the high-altitude and the loss of breath against Puerto Rico. On Thursday, an oxygen tank was present on the V.I. bench.
The VI also had the presence of Alphonso Niles, who had to sit out against Puerto Rico. The tournament technical committee questioned Nileś eligibility because he was born in New York to V.I. parents. The V.I. federation was able to obtain the birth certificate of Niles mother from his grandmother on St. Thomas.
VIHA RESIDENT ELECTIONS POSTPONED
July 13, 2001 – The Virgin Islands Housing Authority (VIHA) advises all public housing residents that the special resident elections that were scheduled for Friday, July 13, have been postponed to Friday, Aug. 10, in both the St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix districts for the following categories:
– Resident Commissioners to VIHA Board of Commissioners (one resident per district).
– Advisory Council on Housing (one resident per district).
– Resident Council Officers for each VIHA community.
Elections will be held in all VIHA communities from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, August 10.
Any bonafide public housing resident who is 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote.
For more information about the election or the election process, please contact Jennifer I. Lettsome-Tuckett, the VIHA community services supervisor on St. Thomas, at 775-2741 extension 3096. On St. Croix, information can be obtained by calling Jean Nesbitt-Matthew, the VIHA community services specialist, at 773-3525 extension 407.
The Virgin Islands Housing Authority encourages interested parties to participate in the process and support resident leadership for public housing.
– Resident Commissioners to VIHA Board of Commissioners (one resident per district).
– Advisory Council on Housing (one resident per district).
– Resident Council Officers for each VIHA community.
Elections will be held in all VIHA communities from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, August 10.
Any bonafide public housing resident who is 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote.
For more information about the election or the election process, please contact Jennifer I. Lettsome-Tuckett, the VIHA community services supervisor on St. Thomas, at 775-2741 extension 3096. On St. Croix, information can be obtained by calling Jean Nesbitt-Matthew, the VIHA community services specialist, at 773-3525 extension 407.
The Virgin Islands Housing Authority encourages interested parties to participate in the process and support resident leadership for public housing.
VIHA RESIDENT ELECTIONS POSTPONED
July 13, 2001 – The Virgin Islands Housing Authority (VIHA) advises all public housing residents that the special resident elections that were scheduled for Friday, July 13, have been postponed to Friday, August 10, in both the St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix districts for the following categories:
– Resident Commissioners to VIHA Board of Commissioners (one resident per district).
– Advisory Council on Housing (one resident per district).
– Resident Council Officers for each VIHA community.
Elections will be held in all VIHA communities from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, August 10.
Any bonafide public housing resident who is 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote.
For more information about the election or the election process, please contact Jennifer I. Lettsome-Tuckett, the VIHA community services supervisor on St. Thomas, at 775-2741 extension 3096. On St. Croix, information can be obtained by calling Jean Nesbitt-Matthew, the VIHA community services specialist, at 773-3525 extension 407. The Virgin Islands Housing Authority encourages interested parties to participate in the process and support resident leadership for public housing.
– Resident Commissioners to VIHA Board of Commissioners (one resident per district).
– Advisory Council on Housing (one resident per district).
– Resident Council Officers for each VIHA community.
Elections will be held in all VIHA communities from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, August 10.
Any bonafide public housing resident who is 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote.
For more information about the election or the election process, please contact Jennifer I. Lettsome-Tuckett, the VIHA community services supervisor on St. Thomas, at 775-2741 extension 3096. On St. Croix, information can be obtained by calling Jean Nesbitt-Matthew, the VIHA community services specialist, at 773-3525 extension 407. The Virgin Islands Housing Authority encourages interested parties to participate in the process and support resident leadership for public housing.
VIHA RESIDENT ELECTIONS POSTPONED
July 13, 2001 – The Virgin Islands Housing Authority (VIHA) advises all public housing residents that the special resident elections that were scheduled for Friday, July 13, have been postponed to Friday, August 10, in both the St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix districts for the following categories:
– Resident Commissioners to VIHA Board of Commissioners (one resident per district).
– Advisory Council on Housing (one resident per district).
– Resident Council Officers for each VIHA community.
Elections will be held in all VIHA communities from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, August 10.
Any bonafide public housing resident who is 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote.
For more information about the election or the election process, please contact Jennifer I. Lettsome-Tuckett, the VIHA community services supervisor on St. Thomas, at 775-2741 extension 3096. On St. Croix, information can be obtained by calling Jean Nesbitt-Matthew, the VIHA community services specialist, at 773-3525 extension 407. The Virgin Islands Housing Authority encourages interested parties to participate in the process and support resident leadership for public housing.
– Resident Commissioners to VIHA Board of Commissioners (one resident per district).
– Advisory Council on Housing (one resident per district).
– Resident Council Officers for each VIHA community.
Elections will be held in all VIHA communities from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, August 10.
Any bonafide public housing resident who is 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote.
For more information about the election or the election process, please contact Jennifer I. Lettsome-Tuckett, the VIHA community services supervisor on St. Thomas, at 775-2741 extension 3096. On St. Croix, information can be obtained by calling Jean Nesbitt-Matthew, the VIHA community services specialist, at 773-3525 extension 407. The Virgin Islands Housing Authority encourages interested parties to participate in the process and support resident leadership for public housing.
BALL ACQUIRES HISTORIC BLACKBEARD'S CASTLE
July 13, 2001 – The St. Thomas son of a baron is looking more and more like the king of the hills.
First Government Hill and, now, Blackbeard's Hill.
Michael Ball, representing his father, Baron Vernon Ball, closed Thursday on the purchase of the hotel and restaurant complex currently known as The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle. Six months ago, he did the same thing on the adjacent property that most recently was called L'Hotel Boynes.
The dual acquisitions are a marriage made in the expectation of tapping into the island's biggest source of income: the cruise ship traffic. And the Balls are putting their money where a lot of tourism industry experts' mouths have been for years: on heritage tourism.
The Balls' plan is to create a visitor attraction emphasizing St. Thomas history on about two acres of property newly surrounded by a white picket fence. And they expect to have it up and running in about three weeks.
For the last 12 years, Michael Ball has been managing Hotel 1829, which is owned by his father and was originally the home, completed in 1831, of a family named Lavalette. About three ago, the Balls purchased the property behind the hotel, on which sat the ruins of a home dating from the early 1800s. Painstakingly restored and authentically furnished in West Indian period furniture, it became the Haagensen House museum and private functions facility, which opened last year.
Michael Ball arranged for the St. Thomas Historical Trust to operate the museum, curate the collection of antiques and give tours of the house and the "Kongens Quarter" (King's Quarter) neighborhood. And he hired Felipe Ayala, longtime trust activist and former member of the Historic Preservation Commission, to serve as executive director of Haagensen House.
Those partnerships are being extended to the new complex on Blackbeard's Hill.
The Inn at Blackbeard's
The Balls acquired the Blackbeard's property from Craig and Amy Van Skaik, who had bought it from the Small Business Administration in 1999 and renovated it extensively. About a year ago, the Van Skaiks, who then lived on St. John, sold their home and moved to Los Angeles.
The hotel and restaurant opened in 1982 and were operated until the mid-1990s as Blackbeard's Castle Hotel by Bob Harrington and Henrique Konzen. When that business failed in the aftermath of Hurricane Marilyn, Patricia LaCorte took over the restaurant, naming it Cafe Lulu. When the Van Skaiks and their partner, David Abers, acquired the property, they brought the food and beverage operation in-house. LaCorte, a longtime local restaurateur, took the name of her place to the North Side, gave it a tweak, and has been operating Lulu's Cafe at the old Ferrari's site ever since.
About a year ago, the Van Skaiks "were putting out feelers, and we started talking," Ball said. "We had the idea of putting the two properties [Blackbeard's and L'Hotel Boynes] together and making it a package for the cruise lines, all managed by the Historical Trust."
The stone tower of Blackbeard's Castle was a declared a national historic monument in 1994. Although the Van Skaiks renovated the structure, built in 1679 and originally called Skytesborg (Danish for "Sky Tower") a couple of years ago to make it available for private dining, "We'll probably keep it closed for the tours," Ball said. And, he said, visitors "will be told that Blackbeard never set foot in the place — much to my chagrin."
Ayala says that Blackbeard — Edward Thatch by proper name — operated out of Port Royal, Jamaica, "and he would not have stayed in a tower built by the Danish, who were trying to capture him." Still, some literature has it that the pirate, who had a long, braided beard, used St. Thomas as a base from 1716 to 1718, the year he was killed in a battle off the coast of North Carolina. No way, Ayala says, but he adds, "We tell both sides. We tell them there is a lot of lore about pirates, and there are lots of books on pirates in the museum gift shop."
The Blackbeard's restaurant closed at the start of June, while the 10-room hotel continues to operate, Ball said.
Villa Notman
"We bought L'Hotel Boynes when Sam was ready to sell," Ball said, referring to owner Samuel Boynes, who purchased what previously had been called The Mark St. Thomas Hotel in the mid-1990s after years with Frenchman's Reef and a hotel career harking back to Chicago's Playboy Club. "He came to us; we didn't go to him," Ball said of Boynes. "He was interested in what we were doing with the historic walking tours."
Boynes, whose sons helped him operate the eight-room hotel, showcased the property's historic nature and his own family history in the decor and furnishings. It was a regular stop on various walking tours for several years.
The yellow ballast brick and stone home will be renamed Villa Notman, for Robert Notman, who built it. A Scotsman who worked on St. Thomas as an engineer, Notman completed the house in 1860, Ball said. It remained a private home well into the 20th century, used by the Anglican Church as a parsonage in the early 1900s and by the Navy when it was administering the territory. It's in the National Register of Historic Homes, and its ornate veranda ironwork has been featured in many a Tourism Department magazine ad and brochure.
The hotel has been closed since the sale was finalized late last year.
Philip Sturm, new president of the St. Thomas Historical Trust, member of the Historic Preservation Commission and noted West Indian antiques collector, has been curating the furniture display for Villa Notman over the last six months. He's furnished the main salon, a child's bedroom and the master bedroom on the upper floor. About 80 percent of the pieces to be displayed initially are on loan from from his personal collection, he said, and the remainder have been lent by other members of the trust.
The owner of the Philip Sturm Hair Studio also serves as curator of the antiques and art exhibited at Haagensen House.
His approach to Villa Notman has been "different from Haagensen House, which has only West Indian furniture," Sturm said. "We are trying to represent the Notman house as it was at the time it was built. The island was an open port and had furniture from everywhere."
Outside, what had been the parking lot for L'Hotel Boynes is now a manicured lawn — 3,000 square feet of grass, a cutting garden and paths. A new wooden walkway connects the small pool at the back of the Boynes hotel and the steps leading up to the Blackbeard's pool.
Restaurateur to make a comeback
Ball asked LaCorte to return and take charge of the kitchen at the restaurant, and LaCorte didn't hesitate in saying yes. For her, it's a delectable deja vue. "I'm excited," she said. "I always thought it was a great venue, and I think Michael has a great vision."
Lulu's won't be affected by her move back to Blackbeard's, she said. "I've been grooming a very solid staff here," she said from the Crown Mountain eatery.
The town property, including the restaurant, will remain under the name The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle. LaCorte said she's "working on the concept" for the menu, promising it will be "something very cutting edge. It will definitely have a Caribbean flair … It's not going to be strictly a tourist-oriented restaurant. I definitely want the local residents there, and the menu will reflect that."
The restaurant will be open seven days a week, initially only for dinner, but adding lunch when season arrives. LaCorte said the kitchen and dining room are getting "a little bit of a facelift, and we will have our own touches." But nothing major, she added, as "the remodeling job that Craig (Van Skaik) did was very well done. The place is so beautiful just in itself."
A decade ago, the piano lounge was a showplace for live jazz, featuring both local and visiting artists. Will those days return? "I'm not committing to anything," LaCorte said, but not ruling it out, either. As for another staple of the old Blackbeard's — and Lulu's, the annual Easter bonnet contest, she added, "Ask later."
Historic walking tours sell well
What the new venture will offer is a variation and extension of what's available now.
The Historical Trust now markets two guided walking tours on board cruise ships. One, priced at $18, leaves from Blackbeard's Castle and is downhill all the way, including a guided tour of the Haagensen House museum and concluding at Emancipation Garden. The other, which is $25, is an up-and-down tour that also includes stops at the Fort Christian Museum and Frederick Lutheran Church.
From Blackbeard's Castle, the walkers pass L'Hotel Boynes and Crown House (the onetime residence of Gov. Peter von Scholten), tour the Haagensen House museum and grounds, then head down again past Hotel 1829 and 1854 Hus (housing Marisol restaurant), alongside Educators Park, over to the former the Grand Hotel, now Grand Galleria, and finally to Emancipation Garden.
On the tours, Historical Trust guides "refer guests to the Seven Arches Museum and the Weibel Museum at the St. Thomas Synagogue as other properties they may want to visit, and they do the same for us," Ayala said.
The number of persons taking tours during the summer is 30 to 40 per ship on the "down weeks, which alternate with the up weeks," Ayala said. In season, "it can average a hundred and more."
Sometimes it does so even in the summer. "We did 110 people today," Ball said on a recent day. In season, daily totals of 300 and more have not been unusual, he said, and the numbers are likely to go up sharply when season arrives.
"This first year, I was only working with three cruise lines — Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival," Ball said. "This coming year, it's going to be nine or 10 lines, all of the majors. Once you get on with one, and it works, and they get some feedback, the rest of the guys are willing to follow suit."
One key to his success, he said, has been working with people in other areas already doing business with the cruise lines, such the Kon Tiki, Atlantis Submarine, First Class Tour and Limousine Service and Islander Taxi.
Passengers from each ship constitute a separate tour group. They are met at their ships, taken on a driving tour of the hills overlooking the St. Thomas harbor, and then dropped off at the north entrance to Blackbeard's Castle, where they are met by Historical Trust guides who take them on the hour-long walking tour. Afterward, depending on the cruise line, they are picked up and transported back to the ship or have free time for downtown shopping and exploring before heading to the docks on their own.
The Historical Trust also conducts tours just of Haagensen House itself for $8 (children under 12 free, older children, seniors and local residents $4), which includes a cold drink.
Opening soon: the historic hilltop
Visits to the new Blackbeard's/Villa Notman complex are being marketed as a stop on established island tours that are booked at the excursion desks of the cruise ships, separate from the historic walking tours. The price of walk-in admission to the complex is built into the price of the tour. On the ships, Ayala said, brochures and two to three minutes of tour highlights in a promotional video loop will provide information to prospective tour takers.
Historical Trust personnel "wrote the narrative for the whole tour that the drivers use from the time they leave the dock until they get to Blackbeard's," Ayala said.
Tour takers will receive brochures of their own with background information about the properties, and a Historic Trust guide will be stationed inside Villa Notman to show people around and answer questions. Otherwise, it will be a self-guided tour. The ground floor rooms of the Notman home won't be open to regular visitors, "but we will probably use them for weddings in the garden there," Ball said.
Until now, anyone wishing to walk through the Blackbeard's property has been able to do so for free. Once the complex opens, they will have to pay the admission charge, which also will entitle them to tour Villa Notman inside and out, Ayala said.
Paying the entrance fee — tentatively around $10, with half off for children and seniors and discounts for locals — will entitle guests to "use the pool and hang out for the day, if they like," Ball said. "There will be a shuttle from Blackbeard's down to Main Street every 20 minutes, maybe." Food and beverage service at Blackbeard's will be a la carte.
To cope with the anticipated influx of visitors, the trust will turn first to its membership for volunteer guides both to lead walking tours and to greet guests on the hill. Many of those members are seasonal residents and retirees whose schedules are flexible, Ayala said. In addition, he said, there are plans to hire paid guides for season.
Seemingly unfazed at the prospect of much greater demand for its services, Ayala said the Historical Trust, in fact, is looking to focus its resources in other directions, as well.
"In the last year and a half, the trust has slowly been promoting Haagensen House and the walking tour," he said. "Now, it is moving toward acquiring its own building and working on new projects, including Hassel Island."
Viewing history as opportunity
Ball said his father and others he declined to name purchased the Blackbeard's Hill properties under a limited liability partnershop (LLP). "I put the whole deal together," he said, placing the price at "more than $2 million but less than $3 million."
The partnership will seek Economic Development Authority tax benefits. "The company that we are buying it [The Inn at Blackbeard's] from had them, and we will try to get them transferred over to our company," he said.
He said his father, who now lives on the west coast of Florida, was on St. Thomas a couple of weeks ago. The baron — whose title is Italian — looked over the Blackbeard's/Villa Notman complex, his son said, and "yes, he likes it."
Ball, who spent his childhood on St. Thomas, attending Lutheran Parish and Antilles Schools before going off island, has been managing Hotel 1829 for the last 12 years. He makes no bones about what has motivated him to take on the new project. "I'm just trying to make a dollar," he says. "I admire beautiful things. I'm not a historian; I'm an opportunist, a business person, and this is just my way of trying to keep ahead, because things haven't been too hot for the hotels and restaurants.
"We're centrally located, joined at the hip to Main Street, which is where 75 percent of the cruise ship passengers want to go, anyhow. I'm just trying to seek out new ways to keep doing business. And I think there's going to be a big payoff at the end."
Sturm, a native of Trinidad, sees the heritage-oriented development of the property as "one of the nicest in the Caribbean" and a fitting extension of the earlier work. "Michael Ball came to me when he bought the Haagensen House property in such a state of disrepair, and asked me what to do with it," he recalled. "I told him what to do. I planted the seed."
The enthusuastic response of the cruise lines — and, in turn, of the tourists — has proven that today's travelers are interested in more than sun, sand and shopping, Sturm said.
But part of the key to their response, he added, is that "you had to have a product."
First Government Hill and, now, Blackbeard's Hill.
Michael Ball, representing his father, Baron Vernon Ball, closed Thursday on the purchase of the hotel and restaurant complex currently known as The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle. Six months ago, he did the same thing on the adjacent property that most recently was called L'Hotel Boynes.
The dual acquisitions are a marriage made in the expectation of tapping into the island's biggest source of income: the cruise ship traffic. And the Balls are putting their money where a lot of tourism industry experts' mouths have been for years: on heritage tourism.
The Balls' plan is to create a visitor attraction emphasizing St. Thomas history on about two acres of property newly surrounded by a white picket fence. And they expect to have it up and running in about three weeks.
For the last 12 years, Michael Ball has been managing Hotel 1829, which is owned by his father and was originally the home, completed in 1831, of a family named Lavalette. About three ago, the Balls purchased the property behind the hotel, on which sat the ruins of a home dating from the early 1800s. Painstakingly restored and authentically furnished in West Indian period furniture, it became the Haagensen House museum and private functions facility, which opened last year.
Michael Ball arranged for the St. Thomas Historical Trust to operate the museum, curate the collection of antiques and give tours of the house and the "Kongens Quarter" (King's Quarter) neighborhood. And he hired Felipe Ayala, longtime trust activist and former member of the Historic Preservation Commission, to serve as executive director of Haagensen House.
Those partnerships are being extended to the new complex on Blackbeard's Hill.
The Inn at Blackbeard's
The Balls acquired the Blackbeard's property from Craig and Amy Van Skaik, who had bought it from the Small Business Administration in 1999 and renovated it extensively. About a year ago, the Van Skaiks, who then lived on St. John, sold their home and moved to Los Angeles.
The hotel and restaurant opened in 1982 and were operated until the mid-1990s as Blackbeard's Castle Hotel by Bob Harrington and Henrique Konzen. When that business failed in the aftermath of Hurricane Marilyn, Patricia LaCorte took over the restaurant, naming it Cafe Lulu. When the Van Skaiks and their partner, David Abers, acquired the property, they brought the food and beverage operation in-house. LaCorte, a longtime local restaurateur, took the name of her place to the North Side, gave it a tweak, and has been operating Lulu's Cafe at the old Ferrari's site ever since.
About a year ago, the Van Skaiks "were putting out feelers, and we started talking," Ball said. "We had the idea of putting the two properties [Blackbeard's and L'Hotel Boynes] together and making it a package for the cruise lines, all managed by the Historical Trust."
The stone tower of Blackbeard's Castle was a declared a national historic monument in 1994. Although the Van Skaiks renovated the structure, built in 1679 and originally called Skytesborg (Danish for "Sky Tower") a couple of years ago to make it available for private dining, "We'll probably keep it closed for the tours," Ball said. And, he said, visitors "will be told that Blackbeard never set foot in the place — much to my chagrin."
Ayala says that Blackbeard — Edward Thatch by proper name — operated out of Port Royal, Jamaica, "and he would not have stayed in a tower built by the Danish, who were trying to capture him." Still, some literature has it that the pirate, who had a long, braided beard, used St. Thomas as a base from 1716 to 1718, the year he was killed in a battle off the coast of North Carolina. No way, Ayala says, but he adds, "We tell both sides. We tell them there is a lot of lore about pirates, and there are lots of books on pirates in the museum gift shop."
The Blackbeard's restaurant closed at the start of June, while the 10-room hotel continues to operate, Ball said.
Villa Notman
"We bought L'Hotel Boynes when Sam was ready to sell," Ball said, referring to owner Samuel Boynes, who purchased what previously had been called The Mark St. Thomas Hotel in the mid-1990s after years with Frenchman's Reef and a hotel career harking back to Chicago's Playboy Club. "He came to us; we didn't go to him," Ball said of Boynes. "He was interested in what we were doing with the historic walking tours."
Boynes, whose sons helped him operate the eight-room hotel, showcased the property's historic nature and his own family history in the decor and furnishings. It was a regular stop on various walking tours for several years.
The yellow ballast brick and stone home will be renamed Villa Notman, for Robert Notman, who built it. A Scotsman who worked on St. Thomas as an engineer, Notman completed the house in 1860, Ball said. It remained a private home well into the 20th century, used by the Anglican Church as a parsonage in the early 1900s and by the Navy when it was administering the territory. It's in the National Register of Historic Homes, and its ornate veranda ironwork has been featured in many a Tourism Department magazine ad and brochure.
The hotel has been closed since the sale was finalized late last year.
Philip Sturm, new president of the St. Thomas Historical Trust, member of the Historic Preservation Commission and noted West Indian antiques collector, has been curating the furniture display for Villa Notman over the last six months. He's furnished the main salon, a child's bedroom and the master bedroom on the upper floor. About 80 percent of the pieces to be displayed initially are on loan from from his personal collection, he said, and the remainder have been lent by other members of the trust.
The owner of the Philip Sturm Hair Studio also serves as curator of the antiques and art exhibited at Haagensen House.
His approach to Villa Notman has been "different from Haagensen House, which has only West Indian furniture," Sturm said. "We are trying to represent the Notman house as it was at the time it was built. The island was an open port and had furniture from everywhere."
Outside, what had been the parking lot for L'Hotel Boynes is now a manicured lawn — 3,000 square feet of grass, a cutting garden and paths. A new wooden walkway connects the small pool at the back of the Boynes hotel and the steps leading up to the Blackbeard's pool.
Restaurateur to make a comeback
Ball asked LaCorte to return and take charge of the kitchen at the restaurant, and LaCorte didn't hesitate in saying yes. For her, it's a delectable deja vue. "I'm excited," she said. "I always thought it was a great venue, and I think Michael has a great vision."
Lulu's won't be affected by her move back to Blackbeard's, she said. "I've been grooming a very solid staff here," she said from the Crown Mountain eatery.
The town property, including the restaurant, will remain under the name The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle. LaCorte said she's "working on the concept" for the menu, promising it will be "something very cutting edge. It will definitely have a Caribbean flair … It's not going to be strictly a tourist-oriented restaurant. I definitely want the local residents there, and the menu will reflect that."
The restaurant will be open seven days a week, initially only for dinner, but adding lunch when season arrives. LaCorte said the kitchen and dining room are getting "a little bit of a facelift, and we will have our own touches." But nothing major, she added, as "the remodeling job that Craig (Van Skaik) did was very well done. The place is so beautiful just in itself."
A decade ago, the piano lounge was a showplace for live jazz, featuring both local and visiting artists. Will those days return? "I'm not committing to anything," LaCorte said, but not ruling it out, either. As for another staple of the old Blackbeard's — and Lulu's, the annual Easter bonnet contest, she added, "Ask later."
Historic walking tours sell well
What the new venture will offer is a variation and extension of what's available now.
The Historical Trust now markets two guided walking tours on board cruise ships. One, priced at $18, leaves from Blackbeard's Castle and is downhill all the way, including a guided tour of the Haagensen House museum and concluding at Emancipation Garden. The other, which is $25, is an up-and-down tour that also includes stops at the Fort Christian Museum and Frederick Lutheran Church.
From Blackbeard's Castle, the walkers pass L'Hotel Boynes and Crown House (the onetime residence of Gov. Peter von Scholten), tour the Haagensen House museum and grounds, then head down again past Hotel 1829 and 1854 Hus (housing Marisol restaurant), alongside Educators Park, over to the former the Grand Hotel, now Grand Galleria, and finally to Emancipation Garden.
On the tours, Historical Trust guides "refer guests to the Seven Arches Museum and the Weibel Museum at the St. Thomas Synagogue as other properties they may want to visit, and they do the same for us," Ayala said.
The number of persons taking tours during the summer is 30 to 40 per ship on the "down weeks, which alternate with the up weeks," Ayala said. In season, "it can average a hundred and more."
Sometimes it does so even in the summer. "We did 110 people today," Ball said on a recent day. In season, daily totals of 300 and more have not been unusual, he said, and the numbers are likely to go up sharply when season arrives.
"This first year, I was only working with three cruise lines — Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival," Ball said. "This coming year, it's going to be nine or 10 lines, all of the majors. Once you get on with one, and it works, and they get some feedback, the rest of the guys are willing to follow suit."
One key to his success, he said, has been working with people in other areas already doing business with the cruise lines, such the Kon Tiki, Atlantis Submarine, First Class Tour and Limousine Service and Islander Taxi.
Passengers from each ship constitute a separate tour group. They are met at their ships, taken on a driving tour of the hills overlooking the St. Thomas harbor, and then dropped off at the north entrance to Blackbeard's Castle, where they are met by Historical Trust guides who take them on the hour-long walking tour. Afterward, depending on the cruise line, they are picked up and transported back to the ship or have free time for downtown shopping and exploring before heading to the docks on their own.
The Historical Trust also conducts tours just of Haagensen House itself for $8 (children under 12 free, older children, seniors and local residents $4), which includes a cold drink.
Opening soon: the historic hilltop
Visits to the new Blackbeard's/Villa Notman complex are being marketed as a stop on established island tours that are booked at the excursion desks of the cruise ships, separate from the historic walking tours. The price of walk-in admission to the complex is built into the price of the tour. On the ships, Ayala said, brochures and two to three minutes of tour highlights in a promotional video loop will provide information to prospective tour takers.
Historical Trust personnel "wrote the narrative for the whole tour that the drivers use from the time they leave the dock until they get to Blackbeard's," Ayala said.
Tour takers will receive brochures of their own with background information about the properties, and a Historic Trust guide will be stationed inside Villa Notman to show people around and answer questions. Otherwise, it will be a self-guided tour. The ground floor rooms of the Notman home won't be open to regular visitors, "but we will probably use them for weddings in the garden there," Ball said.
Until now, anyone wishing to walk through the Blackbeard's property has been able to do so for free. Once the complex opens, they will have to pay the admission charge, which also will entitle them to tour Villa Notman inside and out, Ayala said.
Paying the entrance fee — tentatively around $10, with half off for children and seniors and discounts for locals — will entitle guests to "use the pool and hang out for the day, if they like," Ball said. "There will be a shuttle from Blackbeard's down to Main Street every 20 minutes, maybe." Food and beverage service at Blackbeard's will be a la carte.
To cope with the anticipated influx of visitors, the trust will turn first to its membership for volunteer guides both to lead walking tours and to greet guests on the hill. Many of those members are seasonal residents and retirees whose schedules are flexible, Ayala said. In addition, he said, there are plans to hire paid guides for season.
Seemingly unfazed at the prospect of much greater demand for its services, Ayala said the Historical Trust, in fact, is looking to focus its resources in other directions, as well.
"In the last year and a half, the trust has slowly been promoting Haagensen House and the walking tour," he said. "Now, it is moving toward acquiring its own building and working on new projects, including Hassel Island."
Viewing history as opportunity
Ball said his father and others he declined to name purchased the Blackbeard's Hill properties under a limited liability partnershop (LLP). "I put the whole deal together," he said, placing the price at "more than $2 million but less than $3 million."
The partnership will seek Economic Development Authority tax benefits. "The company that we are buying it [The Inn at Blackbeard's] from had them, and we will try to get them transferred over to our company," he said.
He said his father, who now lives on the west coast of Florida, was on St. Thomas a couple of weeks ago. The baron — whose title is Italian — looked over the Blackbeard's/Villa Notman complex, his son said, and "yes, he likes it."
Ball, who spent his childhood on St. Thomas, attending Lutheran Parish and Antilles Schools before going off island, has been managing Hotel 1829 for the last 12 years. He makes no bones about what has motivated him to take on the new project. "I'm just trying to make a dollar," he says. "I admire beautiful things. I'm not a historian; I'm an opportunist, a business person, and this is just my way of trying to keep ahead, because things haven't been too hot for the hotels and restaurants.
"We're centrally located, joined at the hip to Main Street, which is where 75 percent of the cruise ship passengers want to go, anyhow. I'm just trying to seek out new ways to keep doing business. And I think there's going to be a big payoff at the end."
Sturm, a native of Trinidad, sees the heritage-oriented development of the property as "one of the nicest in the Caribbean" and a fitting extension of the earlier work. "Michael Ball came to me when he bought the Haagensen House property in such a state of disrepair, and asked me what to do with it," he recalled. "I told him what to do. I planted the seed."
The enthusuastic response of the cruise lines — and, in turn, of the tourists — has proven that today's travelers are interested in more than sun, sand and shopping, Sturm said.
But part of the key to their response, he added, is that "you had to have a product."
U.S. POLICE UNION WORRIED ABOUT MISSING COP
July 12, 2001 — The International Union of Police Associations is not only concerned about the recent disappearance of a St. Croix police officer, but the overall condition of law enforcement in the territory.
The disappearance of Cpl. Wendell Williams, missing for more than three weeks, underscores the lack of government support for police officers, said Rich Roberts, IUPA spokesman. That is essentially the position held by the association’s local chapter, the St. Croix Police Benevolent Association.
"We have several concerns" about the Virgin Islands relayed by PBA members, Roberts said. Those include a lack of equipment and low pay.
But it is the case of the missing officer that has spurred the IUPA into action. Williams disappeared in mid-June after dropping a relative off at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. He hasn’t been seen since. What was initially a missing-person case was upgraded to a criminal investigation at the end of June with the discovery of Williams' burned vehicle.
"When something happens to an officer we all pay very close attention," Roberts said. "We have been getting reports from the Virgin Islands that concern us . . . We’re determined to find out more about that."
In so doing, the IUPA sent a letter to Delegate to Congress Donna Christian Christensen on Tuesday asking her to request a congressional oversight hearing on "what is developing as a very grim picture of law enforcement in the U.S.V.I," according to a statement released by the organization on Thursday.
Although Christensen said she hasn’t received the letter, she was cool to the idea of requesting such hearings. She said she has been in contact with several federal law enforcement agencies on matters concerning the territory, such as drug trafficking.
"We’ll do whatever we can . . . and make contact with the IUPA because working together I think we can improve the situation for the police," Christensen said. "But I don’t think congressional oversight is the way we want to go."
Additionally, Roberts said the IUPA has contacted the Travel Industry Association of America to provide the union with information regarding tourism companies with a "vested interest" in the Virgin Islands. The union wants to solicit help in convincing the V.I. government to give more support to the V.I. Police Department.
"We understand how important tourism is" to the territory, Roberts said. "If tourists feel unsafe, we think that will have a negative impact on the economy."
Meanwhile, no new leads on the whereabouts of Williams have come in, according to police officials. The IUPA has added $1,000 to the $6,000 reward for information in the case.
Anyone with information as to Williams’ possible whereabouts is asked to call police at 778-4950, 778-2211 ext. 4530, or the emergency number 911.
The disappearance of Cpl. Wendell Williams, missing for more than three weeks, underscores the lack of government support for police officers, said Rich Roberts, IUPA spokesman. That is essentially the position held by the association’s local chapter, the St. Croix Police Benevolent Association.
"We have several concerns" about the Virgin Islands relayed by PBA members, Roberts said. Those include a lack of equipment and low pay.
But it is the case of the missing officer that has spurred the IUPA into action. Williams disappeared in mid-June after dropping a relative off at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. He hasn’t been seen since. What was initially a missing-person case was upgraded to a criminal investigation at the end of June with the discovery of Williams' burned vehicle.
"When something happens to an officer we all pay very close attention," Roberts said. "We have been getting reports from the Virgin Islands that concern us . . . We’re determined to find out more about that."
In so doing, the IUPA sent a letter to Delegate to Congress Donna Christian Christensen on Tuesday asking her to request a congressional oversight hearing on "what is developing as a very grim picture of law enforcement in the U.S.V.I," according to a statement released by the organization on Thursday.
Although Christensen said she hasn’t received the letter, she was cool to the idea of requesting such hearings. She said she has been in contact with several federal law enforcement agencies on matters concerning the territory, such as drug trafficking.
"We’ll do whatever we can . . . and make contact with the IUPA because working together I think we can improve the situation for the police," Christensen said. "But I don’t think congressional oversight is the way we want to go."
Additionally, Roberts said the IUPA has contacted the Travel Industry Association of America to provide the union with information regarding tourism companies with a "vested interest" in the Virgin Islands. The union wants to solicit help in convincing the V.I. government to give more support to the V.I. Police Department.
"We understand how important tourism is" to the territory, Roberts said. "If tourists feel unsafe, we think that will have a negative impact on the economy."
Meanwhile, no new leads on the whereabouts of Williams have come in, according to police officials. The IUPA has added $1,000 to the $6,000 reward for information in the case.
Anyone with information as to Williams’ possible whereabouts is asked to call police at 778-4950, 778-2211 ext. 4530, or the emergency number 911.
A SOURCE READER HAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS
Dear Source,
I couldn't agree more with Frank Schneiger. I am a Virgin Islander that lives abroad. However I keep up with the changes and events affecting the islands.
I recently visited St. Croix and was somewhat disheartened to see hardly any tourists, deplorable roads and buildings, closed businesses and what seemed like a dwindling economy.
So many times I've heard "St. Croix don't have anything to offer anyone, that is why everyone is leaving."
Well, how can St. Croix, and the other islands for that matter, have anything to offer if everyone stays away, myself included. Two reasons for staying away is the lack of good jobs and the salary potential. St. Croix Central High School has produced doctors, lawyers, engineers of sorts, and many talented individuals that can turn the island around.
The Virgin Islands need young people with new ideas to remove some of the old timers that are set in their ways. Why is it that when there is a new governor, there is a new staff and system for doing things? If something is working why change or do away with it? Why not try to improve on what someone previously did?
Why do the Virgin Islands need so many senators? Why are their salaries so lavish when really they are not doing nearly enough to curb crime, educate and empower our young people, increase tourism, boost the economy, and assist our seniors?
Why was Leon Hess denied the right to build a vocational school and a hospital on the island? His company is polluting the island, it's the least the V.I. government could have done before his death.
Has anyone done a study of cancer related illnesses on the island since Hess (now Hovensa) has been there? A vocational school will give some of the young people who are not inclined to attend college another option. They can learn a lifetime trade in half the time. This will create businesses, and jobs for others. Not to mention this will boost the economy.
We have too many drug addicts and mentally ill people walking the streets. Why is there not adequate therapy to help such people? Why is there such a high AIDS rate in the Virgin Islands?
Local people are afraid to go to the doctors and the hospital on the island. The hospital does not have the proper equipment to care for the sick. The staff is not properly trained to handle various situations.
Why aren’t Fire Services and Emergency Medical Services one agency? Wouldn't it provide better service to the people? I'm not sure how true this is, but I was told there are only two ambulances on St. Croix. One day both of them broke down. People got to the hospital any way they could. That is absurd.
If you noticed, my comments – although they affect the islands as a whole – are directed to St. Croix. This is only because St. Thomas is booming. The economy there is far better than St. Croix's. There are three islands that should be "united" yet are so divided. When I tell people I am from the Virgin Islands, they respond, "Oh, you're from St. Thomas." So now I specifically say St. Croix.
My point? Hardly anyone thinks of St. Croix unless you educate them about it. Our tourism is concentrated and promoted on one island. The islands are not being promoted enough as a vacation destination.
Why is it that money is being spent to import fruits and vegetables from other islands when there is plenty of land to be farmed? Why were the sugar factories never reopened and modernized with equipment to produce sugar? These are items that can both be sold in the islands as well as exported.
We want tourists to come to the islands yet there is nothing to offer them on St. Croix other than a beautiful drive around the island. Why isn't the safety of tourists a priority? Why isn't there enough things for tourists to see and do? Why aren’t there undercover police officers patrolling the streets at night?
Why is there so much corruption in the police departments? Fellow officers have learned to look the other way in fear of their own lives. Why are there still so many unsolved murders in the islands? For God’s sake, these are small islands. The police departments here on the mainland solve crimes 100 percent faster and have far more territory to cover.
If the issues are money and training, then stop mismanaging monies allocated to each agency. Train the police department. How do so many drugs and so many weapons get onto the islands with no one noticing? Get the federal government to step in and help.
From the outside looking in, any governor that goes into office will not be able to turn the islands around without the aid of the federal government. I think the United States needs to consider going back to the days of appointing a governor. The entire system needs to be restructured from the governor down.
Also, jobs should be given based on knowledge and qualifications, not who you know or to who you are related. This contributes to the islands being run into the ground.
Obviously the current system is not working. The youths are the ones suffering the most. When you have respected officials bickering constantly over petty issues daily and ignoring the real problems, what message is that sending to our young people?
Nobody cares. Parents are not completely innocent either. Parents, do you remember when you were young, when the sun went down you had to be inside your parents house or you could expect a whipping?
Where are your kids when the sun goes down? Are they out gang-banging? Jumping up in front of a band? Under a tree smoking marijuana? Nothing is wrong with going to a dance and having a good time, however, instill in your children the importance of spirituality and education. Do not allow them to drop out of school. Attend PTA meetings, know your children’s teachers and friends.
Make time for them. If you don't their friends will and possibly lead them to other things. Check up on them in school .Teach your children to respect themselves and others.
In our schools, teach the children how to open a bank account and save and invest their money or even start a business.
I can go on and on. I think these are some of the things that have to change first before anyone will consider the Virgin Islands a true paradise again.
Leon Phillip
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
I couldn't agree more with Frank Schneiger. I am a Virgin Islander that lives abroad. However I keep up with the changes and events affecting the islands.
I recently visited St. Croix and was somewhat disheartened to see hardly any tourists, deplorable roads and buildings, closed businesses and what seemed like a dwindling economy.
So many times I've heard "St. Croix don't have anything to offer anyone, that is why everyone is leaving."
Well, how can St. Croix, and the other islands for that matter, have anything to offer if everyone stays away, myself included. Two reasons for staying away is the lack of good jobs and the salary potential. St. Croix Central High School has produced doctors, lawyers, engineers of sorts, and many talented individuals that can turn the island around.
The Virgin Islands need young people with new ideas to remove some of the old timers that are set in their ways. Why is it that when there is a new governor, there is a new staff and system for doing things? If something is working why change or do away with it? Why not try to improve on what someone previously did?
Why do the Virgin Islands need so many senators? Why are their salaries so lavish when really they are not doing nearly enough to curb crime, educate and empower our young people, increase tourism, boost the economy, and assist our seniors?
Why was Leon Hess denied the right to build a vocational school and a hospital on the island? His company is polluting the island, it's the least the V.I. government could have done before his death.
Has anyone done a study of cancer related illnesses on the island since Hess (now Hovensa) has been there? A vocational school will give some of the young people who are not inclined to attend college another option. They can learn a lifetime trade in half the time. This will create businesses, and jobs for others. Not to mention this will boost the economy.
We have too many drug addicts and mentally ill people walking the streets. Why is there not adequate therapy to help such people? Why is there such a high AIDS rate in the Virgin Islands?
Local people are afraid to go to the doctors and the hospital on the island. The hospital does not have the proper equipment to care for the sick. The staff is not properly trained to handle various situations.
Why aren’t Fire Services and Emergency Medical Services one agency? Wouldn't it provide better service to the people? I'm not sure how true this is, but I was told there are only two ambulances on St. Croix. One day both of them broke down. People got to the hospital any way they could. That is absurd.
If you noticed, my comments – although they affect the islands as a whole – are directed to St. Croix. This is only because St. Thomas is booming. The economy there is far better than St. Croix's. There are three islands that should be "united" yet are so divided. When I tell people I am from the Virgin Islands, they respond, "Oh, you're from St. Thomas." So now I specifically say St. Croix.
My point? Hardly anyone thinks of St. Croix unless you educate them about it. Our tourism is concentrated and promoted on one island. The islands are not being promoted enough as a vacation destination.
Why is it that money is being spent to import fruits and vegetables from other islands when there is plenty of land to be farmed? Why were the sugar factories never reopened and modernized with equipment to produce sugar? These are items that can both be sold in the islands as well as exported.
We want tourists to come to the islands yet there is nothing to offer them on St. Croix other than a beautiful drive around the island. Why isn't the safety of tourists a priority? Why isn't there enough things for tourists to see and do? Why aren’t there undercover police officers patrolling the streets at night?
Why is there so much corruption in the police departments? Fellow officers have learned to look the other way in fear of their own lives. Why are there still so many unsolved murders in the islands? For God’s sake, these are small islands. The police departments here on the mainland solve crimes 100 percent faster and have far more territory to cover.
If the issues are money and training, then stop mismanaging monies allocated to each agency. Train the police department. How do so many drugs and so many weapons get onto the islands with no one noticing? Get the federal government to step in and help.
From the outside looking in, any governor that goes into office will not be able to turn the islands around without the aid of the federal government. I think the United States needs to consider going back to the days of appointing a governor. The entire system needs to be restructured from the governor down.
Also, jobs should be given based on knowledge and qualifications, not who you know or to who you are related. This contributes to the islands being run into the ground.
Obviously the current system is not working. The youths are the ones suffering the most. When you have respected officials bickering constantly over petty issues daily and ignoring the real problems, what message is that sending to our young people?
Nobody cares. Parents are not completely innocent either. Parents, do you remember when you were young, when the sun went down you had to be inside your parents house or you could expect a whipping?
Where are your kids when the sun goes down? Are they out gang-banging? Jumping up in front of a band? Under a tree smoking marijuana? Nothing is wrong with going to a dance and having a good time, however, instill in your children the importance of spirituality and education. Do not allow them to drop out of school. Attend PTA meetings, know your children’s teachers and friends.
Make time for them. If you don't their friends will and possibly lead them to other things. Check up on them in school .Teach your children to respect themselves and others.
In our schools, teach the children how to open a bank account and save and invest their money or even start a business.
I can go on and on. I think these are some of the things that have to change first before anyone will consider the Virgin Islands a true paradise again.
Leon Phillip
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
BRADLEY MAXWELL SENT TO VIRGINIA PRISON
July 12, 2001 – Locally infamous prisoner Bradley "Hurtie" Maxwell is the first criminal to be enrolled in the recently launched VI Project Exile. Attorney General Iver Stridiron said Maxwell was shipped to a Virginia prison on Tuesday, the same day the program was announced.
The project sends anyone convicted of committing a gun crime, or possessing an illegal weapon, to a mainland prison. The "Red Onion" prison in Virginia, where Maxwell was sent, is reputedly one of the toughest prisons in the United States, with as much as a 24-hour daily lockdown.
Maxwell, who escaped from jail once on St. Thomas and once on St. Croix, was sentenced by Territorial Court Judge Brenda J. Hollar last year to 30 years in prison for killing bar owner John Alfred Adams in 1997, and an additional five years for escaping jail.
Stridiron said the cost is about the same, $65 a day, to house prisoners here or on the mainland. He said four more cases will be sent away shortly, though he declined to name names for security reasons.
"This thing is serious," he said. "We are also enforcing laws about bringing guns into the territory."
He said the V.I. Port Authority is being instructed to warn incoming boat traffic about penalties for bringing weapons in.
The project sends anyone convicted of committing a gun crime, or possessing an illegal weapon, to a mainland prison. The "Red Onion" prison in Virginia, where Maxwell was sent, is reputedly one of the toughest prisons in the United States, with as much as a 24-hour daily lockdown.
Maxwell, who escaped from jail once on St. Thomas and once on St. Croix, was sentenced by Territorial Court Judge Brenda J. Hollar last year to 30 years in prison for killing bar owner John Alfred Adams in 1997, and an additional five years for escaping jail.
Stridiron said the cost is about the same, $65 a day, to house prisoners here or on the mainland. He said four more cases will be sent away shortly, though he declined to name names for security reasons.
"This thing is serious," he said. "We are also enforcing laws about bringing guns into the territory."
He said the V.I. Port Authority is being instructed to warn incoming boat traffic about penalties for bringing weapons in.
