June 29, 2001- Tickets for the Reichhold Center for the Arts 2001-02 season will go on sale Aug. 6.
The season at the theater on the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas campus opens on Oct. 13 with a concert by the contemporary jazz group Spyro Gyra. It will be followed by the third annual visit of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, a Birch Forum co-production, on Nov. 3; the "queen of salsa," Celia Cruz, on Jan. 26; Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, on Feb. 23; a reggae concert to be announced, in March; and the eighth annual STARfest local talent revue, on May 11/12 and 19/20.
The Reichhold offers two types of discounted subscription packages. The Foundation Series, for all six presentations, is $247 for covered seating and $160 in the open air, a savings of 10 percent off individual ticket prices. The "Create-Your-Own" Series allows patrons to choose any four or five performances and get 5 percent off the individual ticket prices.
In addition to discounted tickets, season subscribers will get invitations to meet-the-artist receptions. "This year, we are throwing two grand bashes, one for Spyro Gyra, who will be celebrating their 25th anniversary in music, and the other for Latin music queen Celia Cruz," Reichhold director David Edgecombe said. Only Reichhold subscribers and donors will be invited to these events, he said.
Individual show ticket prices are: Spyro Gyra — $55 covered/$35 open air; Puerto Rico Symphony — $60/$30; Celia Cruz — $65/$42; Ballet Concierto — $35/$25; Reggae Festival — $35/$28 uncovered; and STARfest — $25/$18.
Tickets also may be purchased for the two summer 2002 Caribbean Repertory Company play productions to be announced. All tickets for these performances are $15.
For details on tickets and information on becoming a Reichhold donor, call the Reichhold Center box office at 693-1559. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 29, 2001 – If your motor vehicle registration sticker expires in June and you haven't gotten to the inspection lane yet, relax. You've got an extra week.
On St. Thomas only, the Police Department has extended the deadline for June vehicle registration to Friday, July 6.
The action was taken because of the road work under way in the area of the Motor Vehicles Bureau in Sub Base, a release from the police commissioner's office said.

June 29, 2001 – It took place 11 days after the originally scheduled date, but the St. John Festival Princess Show at the Winston Wells Ball Field on Thursday night was well worth the wait, most in the audience seemed to agree.
An exuberant crowd of 500 applauded, cheered, waved and chanted for their favorites among the three contestants vying for the 2001 princess crown.
Kerla Fessale, an 11-year-old student at Guy Benjamin School, proved to be the judges' favorite, winning Miss Congeniality, Most Photogenic, Best Sports Wear, Most Talented, Best Evening Wear and, finally, the title of 2001 Festival Princess. In her initial presentation, Kerla enthusiastically urged the audience to sit back and enjoy the show.
Competing with her were Shakwana Albert, a sixth grader at Prophecy Elementary School on St Thomas, and Alisha Powell, also a Prophecy student, who was named Miss Popularity.
Creativity was the order of the evening, and the focus on cultural heritage and personal empowerment made it much more than a beauty contest.
In the sports wear segment, Kerla presented what she called a tribute to the late race-car champion Dale Earnhardt, driving onto the stage in an electric cart and emerging dressed in a black racing suit with silver stripes. Shakwana appeared in a white fencing uniform, carrying a foil, while Alisha posed as a triathelete.
In the talent segment, Kerla portrayed a slave girl who toiled tirelessly while keeping her spirit strong. Wearing a white dress and turban, she danced to an African song which evolved into a dance of freedom as she shed her outer garb to reveal a leopard costume with headdress. Shakwana appeared as a native doll which came to life to celebrate Emancipation Day by dancing and playing steelpan. Alisha depicted a disenfranchised child who, separated from her parents, realized the importance of nurturing and preserving youth.
All three contestants wore evening wear fit for a fairytale. Kerla, a triplet, was accompanied by her two same-age brothers and modeled a white bouffant chiffon dress sparkling with more than 5,000 rhinestones. Shakwana was a vision in pale blue with accents of iridescent silver, and Alisha wore a fuchsia chiffon gown with sheer elbow-length gloves.
Between the segments, the Fusion Band and the 2001 V.I. Carnival junior calypso king and queen entertained the audience. The 2000 Festival prince and princess, siblings Imory and Lyia Tongue, took their final walk before the passing of the princess crown. There was no prince competition this year.
The princess competition was delayed due to illness of one of the contestants.
St. John Festival events continue through the Fourth of July. The Village, honoring Cheryl Boynes-Jackson, opens Friday. Tuesday will bring a Cultural Day in Cruz Bay Park and the first Mr. Emancipation competition at night in the ball park. The traditional parade is set to begin at 11a.m. Wednesday, with fireworks at 9 p.m. For the complete listing of events, see the Source St. John Festival schedule.

The Government Employees' Retirement System invites members over 30 years of age to participate in a Pre-retirement Planning Workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 11, in the GERS Conference Room in the GERS Building.
Learn more about your benefits: Social Security, legal rights, health insurance coverage, system benefits.
For additional information or to pre-register call 776-7703 ext 4202 or 4203. Seating is limited so register ealy. Pre-registration deadline is Monday, July 9.

The Government Employees' Retirement System invites members over 30 years of age to participate in a Pre-retirement Planning Workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 11, in the GERS Building.
Learn about your benefits, Social Security, legal rights, health insurance coverage, system benefits and much more.
For additional information or to pre-register call 776-7703 ext 4202 or 4203. Seating is limited so register early. Pre-registration deadline is Monday, July 9.

June 29, 2001 – An argument between two men in the Campo Rico area Thursday afternoon ended with one shooting the other dead.
At about 3 p.m. Thursday, police received a call reporting shots fired in Campo Rico, Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said. But by the time police reached the area, the individuals involved had left, he said.
About 90 minutes later, police were again summoned to the area and learned of the shooting of Shelton Bess, 24. They spoke to witnesses who said that Deray Seales had fired the shots.
Between the first call and the second, police said, Bess was taken to the Juan F. Luis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 5 p.m. from a gunshot wound to the chest. Seales, 30, of Hannah's Rest, was taken into custody and charged with murder.
There were reports that the two men had been involved in a fistfight earlier in the day. After the fight was broken up, witnesses said, Seales went to his vehicle and drove away. He returned a short time later and fired two shots, one of which struck Bess.
Bess is the fifth person slain on St. Croix this year and the 12th in the territory. The last killing occurred on June 12, when Eduardo Marrero, 28, was shot and killed by a masked gunman as he sat in a car outside Quality Auto Parts in Castle Coakley. No one has been charged in that case.

June 29, 2001 — Pay up or be shut off: That’s essentially what commissioners of government departments will be reading beginning on Friday when the V.I. Water and Power Authority begins sending out letters to collect on the $25 million owed by the central government.
Departments will have 15 days to pay or their water or electricity service – or both – will be shut off, Joseph Thomas, WAPA’s executive director, told the utility’s board members on Thursday.
"We’re at a point now where we have to move to a next step," Thomas said about collecting the government’s five-year old debt. He said the $25 million black mark on the utility’s books shadows everything from WAPA’s bond ratings to audits.
"Virtually every deal we have, this issue comes up. It’s a significant item," Thomas, who has been at the helm of WAPA for just more than a month, said.
Despite the hardships caused by two major hurricanes over the last 12 years, Thomas said that allowing the government to be in arrears was unfair to the household accounts that are shut off after 30 days of nonpayment. WAPA records show that the executive branch's monthly utility bills come to about $1.5 million per month.
Although WAPA board members gave Thomas the green light to begin looking into ways of collecting on the government debt in their last meeting, at least two members weren’t too sure of the hardball tactics. Not surprisingly, the two are Andrew Rutnik and Ira Hobson, the commissioners of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and the Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation. Most DHP&R tenants receive either full or partially subsidies on their water bills, causing the department to be the biggest WAPA debtor.
"I know the department owes monies," Hobson said of DHP&R. "I’m concerned at looking ahead and finding my department completely without electricity without recourse."
Rutnik said any effort by WAPA to shut off service "should be selective and it should be surgical." He said shutting off the government’s water and power could cause a "severe problem."
"It would create a great deal of chaos in the community," he said.
Despite the concerns of his colleagues, board member Alphonso Franklin noted that Thomas was given the go-ahead last month to collect the government debt.
"I don’t think we should find ways to back out of this," Franklin said. "We’ve been doing this for the last year."
Thomas said he hoped to have the collection letters sent out by Friday and then meet with Gov. Charles Turnbull within the next two weeks. He said that if no pressure is brought to bear on the government, it is likely no money will be forthcoming.
"We ought to be able to think this thing through," he said. "I can assure you we will spell out our plan before we do anything."
According to WAPA records from last year, over the last five years, the government’s water bill has accounted for the largest part of its unpaid balance. The amount due on water has ranged from a low of $3.4 million in fiscal year 1995 to a high of about $15 million in FY 1999.
WAPA’s electrical system was owed a low of $2.6 million in FY 1995 to a high of $13.8 million in FY 1999.

June 29, 2001 – Pay up or be shut off: That’s essentially the message commissioners of government departments will be reading in letters being sent Friday by the Water and Power Authority as it seeks to collect the $25 million owed by the central government.
Departments will have 15 days to pay what they owe for electricity and/or water, or service will be shut off, Joseph Thomas, WAPA executive director, told the utility’s board members on Thursday.
"We’re at a point now where we have to move to a next step," Thomas said of collecting the government bills that have been building up for five years. He said the $25 million debt carried on the WAPA books affects everything from its bond rating to audits.
"Virtually every deal we have, this issue comes up. It’s a significant item," Thomas, who became the utility's top official seven weeks ago, said.
Despite the hardships caused by two major hurricanes over the last 12 years, Thomas said, allowing the government to be in arrears is unfair to the household accounts that are shut off after 30 days of non-payment. WAPA records show that executive branch utility bills come to about $1.5 million per month.
WAPA board members gave Thomas the green light at their last meeting to begin looking into ways of collecting on the government debt. However, the two board members who are department heads themselves — Andrew Rutnik and Ira Hobson, commissioners of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and of Housing, Parks and Recreation, respectively — expressed reservations about the hardball tactics.
Most public housing tenants receive full or partially subsidies on their water bills, causing the his department to be the biggest WAPA debtor, Hobson said. Acknowledging the debt, Hobson said, "I’m concerned at looking ahead and finding my department completely without electricity, without recourse."
Rutnik said any WAPA shut-off of service "should be selective and it should be surgical." Turning off the government’s water and power could cause a "severe problem," he said. "It would create a great deal of chaos in the community."
Despite those concerns, board member Alphonso Franklin noted that Thomas was given the go-ahead last month to collect the government debt.
"I don’t think we should find ways to back out of this," Franklin said. "We’ve been doing this for the last year."
Thomas said he hoped to have the collection letters out Friday and to meet with Gov. Charles W. Turnbull within two weeks. If no pressure is brought to bear on the government, it is likely no money will be forthcoming, he said.
"We ought to be able to think this thing through," he said. "I can assure you we will spell out our plan before we do anything."
According to WAPA records, the government water bills over the last five years have accounted for the largest part of its unpaid balance. The amount owed for water was $3.4 million in fiscal year 1995 and about $15 million by FY 1999.
WAPA’s electrical system was owed $2.6 million in FY 1995 and $13.8 million by FY 1999.

June 29, 2001 — Pay up or be shut off: That’s essentially what commissioners of government departments will be reading beginning on Friday when the V.I. Water and Power Authority begins sending out letters to collect on the $25 million owed by the central government.
Departments will have 15 days to pay or their water or electricity service – or both – will be shut off, Joseph Thomas, WAPA’s executive director, told the utility’s board members on Thursday.
"We’re at a point now where we have to move to a next step," Thomas said about collecting the government’s five-year old debt. He said the $25 million black mark on the utility’s books shadows everything from WAPA’s bond ratings to audits.
"Virtually every deal we have, this issue comes up. It’s a significant item," Thomas, who has been at the helm of WAPA for just more than a month, said.
Despite the hardships caused by two major hurricanes over the last 12 years, Thomas said that allowing the government to be in arrears was unfair to the household accounts that are shut off after 30 days of nonpayment. WAPA records show that the executive branch's monthly utility bills come to about $1.5 million per month.
Although WAPA board members gave Thomas the green light to begin looking into ways of collecting on the government debt in their last meeting, at least two members weren’t too sure of the hardball tactics. Not surprisingly, the two are Andrew Rutnik and Ira Hobson, the commissioners of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and the Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation. Most DHP&R tenants receive either full or partially subsidies on their water bills, causing the department to be the biggest WAPA debtor.
"I know the department owes monies," Hobson said of DHP&R. "I’m concerned at looking ahead and finding my department completely without electricity without recourse."
Rutnik said any effort by WAPA to shut off service "should be selective and it should be surgical." He said shutting off the government’s water and power could cause a "severe problem."
"It would create a great deal of chaos in the community," he said.
Despite the concerns of his colleagues, board member Alphonso Franklin noted that Thomas was given the go-ahead last month to collect the government debt.
"I don’t think we should find ways to back out of this," Franklin said. "We’ve been doing this for the last year."
Thomas said he hoped to have the collection letters sent out by Friday and then meet with Gov. Charles Turnbull within the next two weeks. He said that if no pressure is brought to bear on the government, it is likely no money will be forthcoming.
"We ought to be able to think this thing through," he said. "I can assure you we will spell out our plan before we do anything."
According to WAPA records from last year, over the last five years, the government’s water bill has accounted for the largest part of its unpaid balance. The amount due on water has ranged from a low of $3.4 million in fiscal year 1995 to a high of about $15 million in FY 1999.
WAPA’s electrical system was owed a low of $2.6 million in FY 1995 to a high of $13.8 million in FY 1999.

June 29, 2001 — Pay up or be shut off: That’s essentially the message commissioners of government departments will be reading in letters being sent Friday by the Water and Power Authority as it seeks to collect the $25 million owed by the central government.
Departments will have 15 days to pay what they owe for electricity and/or water, or service will be shut off, Joseph Thomas, WAPA executive director, told the utility’s board members on Thursday.
"We’re at a point now where we have to move to a next step," Thomas said of collecting the government bills that have been building up for five years. He said the $25 million debt carried on the WAPA books affects everything from its bond rating to audits.
"Virtually every deal we have, this issue comes up. It’s a significant item," Thomas, who became the utility's top official seven weeks ago, said.
Despite the hardships caused by two major hurricanes over the last 12 years, Thomas said, allowing the government to be in arrears is unfair to the household accounts that are shut off after 30 days of non-payment. WAPA records show that executive branch utility bills come to about $1.5 million per month.
WAPA board members gave Thomas the green light at their last meeting to begin looking into ways of collecting on the government debt. However, the two board members who are department heads themselves — Andrew Rutnik and Ira Hobson, commissioners of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and of Housing, Parks and Recreation, respectively — expressed reservations about the hardball tactics.
Most public housing tenants receive full or partially subsidies on their water bills, causing the his department to be the biggest WAPA debtor, Hobson said. Acknowledging the debt, Hobson said, "I’m concerned at looking ahead and finding my department completely without electricity, without recourse."
Rutnik said any WAPA shut-off of service "should be selective and it should be surgical." Turning off the government’s water and power could cause a "severe problem," he said. "It would create a great deal of chaos in the community."
Despite those concerns, board member Alphonso Franklin noted that Thomas was given the go-ahead last month to collect the government debt.
"I don’t think we should find ways to back out of this," Franklin said. "We’ve been doing this for the last year."
Thomas said he hoped to have the collection letters out Friday and to meet with Gov. Charles W. Turnbull within two weeks. If no pressure is brought to bear on the government, it is likely no money will be forthcoming, he said.
"We ought to be able to think this thing through," he said. "I can assure you we will spell out our plan before we do anything."
According to WAPA records, the government water bills over the last five years have accounted for the largest part of its unpaid balance. The amount owed for water was $3.4 million in fiscal year 1995 and about $15 million by FY 1999.
WAPA’s electrical system was owed $2.6 million in FY 1995 and $13.8 million by FY 1999.