Maria Osorio Rodriguez, known to her friends as "Mary," of #112 Sion Farm, died Tuesday, July 10, at Juan F. Luis Hospital. She was 79.
A viewing will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 14, at James Memorial Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 16, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, with a viewing beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Kingshill Cemetery.
She is survived by her daughter, Margarita Felix; grandchildren, José Felix, Maribel Felix, and Karolyn Felix; great-grandchildren, Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Marimar Rodriguez; sisters, Herminia Osorio Rodriguez, Octavia Osorio Rodriguez, Cruz O. Rodriguez, Pura Osorio Rodriguez, Marciana Osorio Rodriguez, Angeles O. Rodriguez, Angelica Osorio Rodriguez, Almira O. Rodriguez, Aida O, Rodriguez, and Rosa Rodriguez; special nieces, Milagros Rivera, Carnen Hilda Andrades; special nephews, Lino Andrades Jr. and Carlos Jaime Garcia; nieces and nephews too numerous to mention; special cousin, Cruzita Rose; son-in-law, Basilio Felix Jr.; brothers-in-law, Ines and Lino Andrades; very special friends, Helen Smith and Henna Roebuck; and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of James Memorial Funeral Home.
SAMUEL MANSAH CHARLES FUNERAL SERVICES
Samuel Mansah Charles, known to his friends as "Judge," "Charlo," and "Papa," of Estate La Raine, formerly of Antigua, died Monday, July 9. He was 81.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 19, at Friedensfeld Moravian Church. A viewing will begin at 9 a.m.
Interment will follow at Kingshill Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are in the care of James Memorial Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 19, at Friedensfeld Moravian Church. A viewing will begin at 9 a.m.
Interment will follow at Kingshill Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are in the care of James Memorial Funeral Home.
BURT WOLF SHOPPING, FILMING ON MAIN STREET
July 11, 2001 — Burt Wolf is a soft-spoken man with a gentle smile and genial air covering a dedicated purpose. That purpose Monday afternoon is filming a shopping jaunt on Main Street on St. Thomas for a Virgin Islands segment of "Burt Wolf's Travels and Traditions" which will air nationally this fall.
Wolf arrived on the island last week for four days of filming all three islands. That's not much time, but for someone who has been doing this for 25 years, it's a piece of cake.
Wolf is the host and author of five internationally syndicated TV series that focus on food, travel and cultural history. The New York Times has called his shows "the best food and travel series on television."
What does he look for when going to a new location? "I want to know about the people," Wolf says, "so what I look for is what they eat and whom they pray to," an eminently logical approach that he has used in the more than 138 cities he has documented.
Wolf discloses this while enjoying a meal at Gladys' restaurant in Royal Dane Mall, an eatery he last visited when it was located in a patio off Main Street. "It's still good," he comments before running off to take some pictures of kitchen preparation.
Wolf's sense of humor flavors his conversation as well as his shows. "If I'm not having a good time, people will know it," he says, "and they won't have a good time watching the show either." He explains this while chatting with a camera salesman who wants to know how many people work on his show. "Oh, about half," Wolf tells him.
In fact, Wolf travels with a producer, cameraman, light and sound technicians as well as his right hand, director Emily Aronson, who has been with him for 27 years. The five trail or precede him down the street, but there are no random stops. For four days shooting for a half-hour show, Wolf says each minute is accounted for.
"When you have everything planned to the last minute, you can do a sight gag or two, have a little spontaneity," he says. "If you're prepared, you can have a 'happy accident.'"
To illustrate Wolf recalls a moment while visiting Haagensen House on Government Hill when he was sitting in a planter's chair. "I produced a can of Planter's Peanuts, and looked to my crew," he said. "If they don't think it's funny, we don't use it." He mainly looks for a nod from Aronson. "I don't make a move without Emily," he says, having asked her approval for a reporter to tag along while they "shopped" Main Street.
Sunday the crew filmed Mango Melee on St. Croix. Monday and Tuesday were devoted to St. Thomas — Haagensen House and the newly restored Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas synagogue on Crystal Gade. This is Wolf's fourth visit to the territory, and what he has noticed most about St. Thomas this time is the ongoing preservation efforts on the island since his first visit about 27 years ago.
Tuesday Wolf ventured to Coral World for a SeaTrek where he donned a diving helmet and explored the flora, fauna and fish first-hand. "He was absolutely thrilled," says Ruth Butler, Coral World public relations director. "He talked about it being the experience of a lifetime," adding that Wolf said he had never expected the beauty and the multitude of fish. "And the cameraman was impressed, too," Butler says. "Our four-foot barracuda followed them around, and he thought that was wonderful."
Butler added she can't wait to see it on television, but Channel 12 isn't currently carrying Wolf's series. She suggested a write-in campaign to WTJX to encourage the station to air the show.
Wednesday Wolf and company take the ferry to St. John for the day for a look at the Annaberg ruins and a walk along Trunk Bay. But they won't leave without having a Hercules pate. Wolf has an excellent memory for food. "When I go to a restaurant, I look to see who is wiping his plate clean with a piece of bread – that will tell me where to eat."
Wolf is in good hands with St. Thomian Luana Wheatley of the Tourism Department's PR firm, Martin Public Relations, who is Wolf's tour guide and who led the shopping tour Monday as the crew filmed B-roll. This is what it's called when the crew films a background for Wolf's comments.
The engaging Wolf sort of fell into his profession, to hear him tell it. "I have no idea how it really started," Wolf says. "It's not a career; it's a continuance of a magnificent delinquency."
Wolf had earned a law degree and was working in Switzerland as an investment consultant when he was asked to collaborate on a book, a "Cook's Catalog," as his interest in cooking had been well-established. The book became an amazing success.
He was asked to appear on the Johnny Carson show after he returned from Switzerland to New York with his three sons, for whom he had custody. He was, at the time, still working in investments, "a working 'mother,'" he says. After his appearance on Carson, somebody told him he had the kind of sense of humor to do television.
"I was appalled at the idea," Wolf says. "In those days I thought TV was comparable to appearing in a Playboy centerfold."
After a couple years, however, he acquiesced and began a food and travel show called "What's Cooking?" and the rest is history, well-documented history. Wolf has written or edited more than 60 books. The "Cook's Catalogue" recently enjoyed a 25-year anniversary. Time magazine has described it as "the definitive book on cooking equipment." A 13-part television series, "Local Flavors," based on the book, is in national syndication on public television.
Public television will air the Virgin Islands series. Perhaps Butler's idea about a write-in campaign will help get it shown in the territory. Wolf's shows also air on CNN and the Travel Channel.
Wolf will be in the Caribbean again in December to begin filming for a new series, "Seeds of Change," which will document how Columbus changed the world and how it still affects behavior worldwide. "Nothing has had a more dramatic effect on this planet," says Wolf, "unless we start exchanging food with another planet."
The filming will include South America, Mexico, Spain, Ireland, Germany and the U.S. "It's wonderful, mostly a cultural history told from the changes he instigated," Wolf says. He doesn't know if the Virgin Islands will be a part of the Caribbean segment as yet.
This time, the crew will shoot about 27 hours of film in the four days, which will be edited down to 25 minutes and 55 seconds, a half-hour show.
Now that Wolf's sons are grown, he lives in a one-bedroom apartment in New York. After all his travels where would he prefer to live? "To do what?" he replies. Italy for food — Venice, Pisa, he says, shaking his head at the question. He would have to opt for New York, but "I am in my apartment about five days at a time," he explains. "My living room is mainly a clothes rack. It's filled with clothes and shoes. Emily (Aronson) comes with me and tells me to 'take this, this and that' and we're off." Next week, Switzerland.
To access some of Wolf's columns go to www.Salon.com and put his name in the search engine on the site or simply put BurtWolf in the Google search engine on any Source page to find more on his travels and books.
Wolf arrived on the island last week for four days of filming all three islands. That's not much time, but for someone who has been doing this for 25 years, it's a piece of cake.
Wolf is the host and author of five internationally syndicated TV series that focus on food, travel and cultural history. The New York Times has called his shows "the best food and travel series on television."
What does he look for when going to a new location? "I want to know about the people," Wolf says, "so what I look for is what they eat and whom they pray to," an eminently logical approach that he has used in the more than 138 cities he has documented.
Wolf discloses this while enjoying a meal at Gladys' restaurant in Royal Dane Mall, an eatery he last visited when it was located in a patio off Main Street. "It's still good," he comments before running off to take some pictures of kitchen preparation.
Wolf's sense of humor flavors his conversation as well as his shows. "If I'm not having a good time, people will know it," he says, "and they won't have a good time watching the show either." He explains this while chatting with a camera salesman who wants to know how many people work on his show. "Oh, about half," Wolf tells him.
In fact, Wolf travels with a producer, cameraman, light and sound technicians as well as his right hand, director Emily Aronson, who has been with him for 27 years. The five trail or precede him down the street, but there are no random stops. For four days shooting for a half-hour show, Wolf says each minute is accounted for.
"When you have everything planned to the last minute, you can do a sight gag or two, have a little spontaneity," he says. "If you're prepared, you can have a 'happy accident.'"
To illustrate Wolf recalls a moment while visiting Haagensen House on Government Hill when he was sitting in a planter's chair. "I produced a can of Planter's Peanuts, and looked to my crew," he said. "If they don't think it's funny, we don't use it." He mainly looks for a nod from Aronson. "I don't make a move without Emily," he says, having asked her approval for a reporter to tag along while they "shopped" Main Street.
Sunday the crew filmed Mango Melee on St. Croix. Monday and Tuesday were devoted to St. Thomas — Haagensen House and the newly restored Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas synagogue on Crystal Gade. This is Wolf's fourth visit to the territory, and what he has noticed most about St. Thomas this time is the ongoing preservation efforts on the island since his first visit about 27 years ago.
Tuesday Wolf ventured to Coral World for a SeaTrek where he donned a diving helmet and explored the flora, fauna and fish first-hand. "He was absolutely thrilled," says Ruth Butler, Coral World public relations director. "He talked about it being the experience of a lifetime," adding that Wolf said he had never expected the beauty and the multitude of fish. "And the cameraman was impressed, too," Butler says. "Our four-foot barracuda followed them around, and he thought that was wonderful."
Butler added she can't wait to see it on television, but Channel 12 isn't currently carrying Wolf's series. She suggested a write-in campaign to WTJX to encourage the station to air the show.
Wednesday Wolf and company take the ferry to St. John for the day for a look at the Annaberg ruins and a walk along Trunk Bay. But they won't leave without having a Hercules pate. Wolf has an excellent memory for food. "When I go to a restaurant, I look to see who is wiping his plate clean with a piece of bread – that will tell me where to eat."
Wolf is in good hands with St. Thomian Luana Wheatley of the Tourism Department's PR firm, Martin Public Relations, who is Wolf's tour guide and who led the shopping tour Monday as the crew filmed B-roll. This is what it's called when the crew films a background for Wolf's comments.
The engaging Wolf sort of fell into his profession, to hear him tell it. "I have no idea how it really started," Wolf says. "It's not a career; it's a continuance of a magnificent delinquency."
Wolf had earned a law degree and was working in Switzerland as an investment consultant when he was asked to collaborate on a book, a "Cook's Catalog," as his interest in cooking had been well-established. The book became an amazing success.
He was asked to appear on the Johnny Carson show after he returned from Switzerland to New York with his three sons, for whom he had custody. He was, at the time, still working in investments, "a working 'mother,'" he says. After his appearance on Carson, somebody told him he had the kind of sense of humor to do television.
"I was appalled at the idea," Wolf says. "In those days I thought TV was comparable to appearing in a Playboy centerfold."
After a couple years, however, he acquiesced and began a food and travel show called "What's Cooking?" and the rest is history, well-documented history. Wolf has written or edited more than 60 books. The "Cook's Catalogue" recently enjoyed a 25-year anniversary. Time magazine has described it as "the definitive book on cooking equipment." A 13-part television series, "Local Flavors," based on the book, is in national syndication on public television.
Public television will air the Virgin Islands series. Perhaps Butler's idea about a write-in campaign will help get it shown in the territory. Wolf's shows also air on CNN and the Travel Channel.
Wolf will be in the Caribbean again in December to begin filming for a new series, "Seeds of Change," which will document how Columbus changed the world and how it still affects behavior worldwide. "Nothing has had a more dramatic effect on this planet," says Wolf, "unless we start exchanging food with another planet."
The filming will include South America, Mexico, Spain, Ireland, Germany and the U.S. "It's wonderful, mostly a cultural history told from the changes he instigated," Wolf says. He doesn't know if the Virgin Islands will be a part of the Caribbean segment as yet.
This time, the crew will shoot about 27 hours of film in the four days, which will be edited down to 25 minutes and 55 seconds, a half-hour show.
Now that Wolf's sons are grown, he lives in a one-bedroom apartment in New York. After all his travels where would he prefer to live? "To do what?" he replies. Italy for food — Venice, Pisa, he says, shaking his head at the question. He would have to opt for New York, but "I am in my apartment about five days at a time," he explains. "My living room is mainly a clothes rack. It's filled with clothes and shoes. Emily (Aronson) comes with me and tells me to 'take this, this and that' and we're off." Next week, Switzerland.
To access some of Wolf's columns go to www.Salon.com and put his name in the search engine on the site or simply put BurtWolf in the Google search engine on any Source page to find more on his travels and books.
SUMMER SCHOOL ENROLLMENT STILL OPEN
Although the Department of Education Summer School Program is in its second week, children can still be enrolled at the Ulla F. Muller, Joseph Sibilly and Joseph Gomez Schools for enrichment.
NISKY MORAVIAN APPRECIATION SERVICE
The Nisky Moravian Congregation is having an Appreciation Service for Pastor Walton Frederick and his family at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 15. A reception will follow.
Pastor Frederick has been at Nisky for almost ten years but is relocation on the mainland for educational purposes.
Pastor Frederick has been at Nisky for almost ten years but is relocation on the mainland for educational purposes.
NISKY MORAVIAN APPRECIATION SERVICE
The Nisky Moravian Congregation is having an Appreciation Service for Pastor Walton Frederick and his family at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 15. A reception will follow.
Pastor Frederick has been at Nisky Moravian for almost ten years but is now relocating to the mainland for educational purposes.
Pastor Frederick has been at Nisky Moravian for almost ten years but is now relocating to the mainland for educational purposes.
HEALTH INSURANCE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
All government employees and retires are advised that the Health Insurance Board of Trustees will meet at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 13, in the Department of Justice Conference Room on the second floor of the GERS Complex.
HEALTH INSURANCE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
All government employees and retirees are advised that the Health Insurance Board of Trustees will meet at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 13, in the Justice Conference Room on the second floor of the GERS Complex.
CCC, PSC MAKE CASES FOR BUDGET REQUESTS
July 11, 2001 – The Senate Finance Committee began budget hearings Tuesday with the Casino Control Commission and the Public Services Commission stating the cases for their respective spending needs.
Eileen Petersen, chairwoman of the Casino Commission, defended the agency’s budget request of $1.45 million for fiscal year 2001-02. That sum, she said, would allow the commission that regulates gambling on St. Croix to hire sorely needed personnel. Petersen said that despite an increasing workload, the commission has only two staff people, an executive director and a secretary. Additionally, there are only two casino inspectors, the bare minimum needed to meet the mandates of the V.I. Casino Control Act. The act calls for an inspector to be on duty at all times that a casino is open for business.
St. Croix's only casino now is the Divi Carina Bay Resort and Casino. But the hours needed to keep an inspector at that one casino at all times, said Shawna Richards, the commission’s executive director, is already taking a toll on the employees and their families.
"Casino inspectors work around the clock as required by law," Richards said, noting that in addition to the casino inspectors, the commission needs to hire an audit inspector, legal counsel and a secretary. "Funding for these positions is critical."
Petersen said it was difficult for the commission to obtain the funding it was allocated for fiscal year 2000-01.
"We had no idea from day to day whether we had $1 to spend or $10 to spend," she said. "We have had a very difficult time trying to figure out what we’re operating with."
In other committee action, PSC Executive Director Keithley Joseph presented the commission’s $514,332 budget request for fiscal year 2001-02. However, Finance Committee Chairwoman Alicia "Chucky" Hansen cut the hearing short because PSC chairman Walter Challenger wasn’t present to answer questions.
Joseph said he read a letter to the PSC from Hansen’s office about the budget hearing at the PSC’s June 19 meeting.
Challenger’s absence spurred Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg to criticize Challenger’s leadership of the PSC, particularly how it regulates Innovative Telephone, formerly Vitelco. Donastorg blasted the PSC and Challenger for recently hiring AUS Consulting, which in the past worked for the phone company.
Joseph deferred questions about AUS to PSC board members, none of whom were at the hearing.
In addition to rate investigations of utilities, the PSC approved hiring AUS to investigate whether it should grant a request from Wireless World that Innovative Telephone allow Wireless World to interconnect with Innovative's local lines. Under federal deregulation laws, Wireless World is seeking to provide local telephone service in direct competition with Innovative, which to date has had a monopoly on local service. Wireless World and Innovative each will be assessed $50,000 to cover costs incurred by the PSC in hiring the consultant and holding hearings on the matter.
"Conveniently, AUS consulting was selected to conduct a rate investigation for a company they worked for," Donastorg said. "I don’t find that to be highly highly coincidental. I don’t consider it to be fair to the consumer to have the deck stacked against them."
Eileen Petersen, chairwoman of the Casino Commission, defended the agency’s budget request of $1.45 million for fiscal year 2001-02. That sum, she said, would allow the commission that regulates gambling on St. Croix to hire sorely needed personnel. Petersen said that despite an increasing workload, the commission has only two staff people, an executive director and a secretary. Additionally, there are only two casino inspectors, the bare minimum needed to meet the mandates of the V.I. Casino Control Act. The act calls for an inspector to be on duty at all times that a casino is open for business.
St. Croix's only casino now is the Divi Carina Bay Resort and Casino. But the hours needed to keep an inspector at that one casino at all times, said Shawna Richards, the commission’s executive director, is already taking a toll on the employees and their families.
"Casino inspectors work around the clock as required by law," Richards said, noting that in addition to the casino inspectors, the commission needs to hire an audit inspector, legal counsel and a secretary. "Funding for these positions is critical."
Petersen said it was difficult for the commission to obtain the funding it was allocated for fiscal year 2000-01.
"We had no idea from day to day whether we had $1 to spend or $10 to spend," she said. "We have had a very difficult time trying to figure out what we’re operating with."
In other committee action, PSC Executive Director Keithley Joseph presented the commission’s $514,332 budget request for fiscal year 2001-02. However, Finance Committee Chairwoman Alicia "Chucky" Hansen cut the hearing short because PSC chairman Walter Challenger wasn’t present to answer questions.
Joseph said he read a letter to the PSC from Hansen’s office about the budget hearing at the PSC’s June 19 meeting.
Challenger’s absence spurred Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg to criticize Challenger’s leadership of the PSC, particularly how it regulates Innovative Telephone, formerly Vitelco. Donastorg blasted the PSC and Challenger for recently hiring AUS Consulting, which in the past worked for the phone company.
Joseph deferred questions about AUS to PSC board members, none of whom were at the hearing.
In addition to rate investigations of utilities, the PSC approved hiring AUS to investigate whether it should grant a request from Wireless World that Innovative Telephone allow Wireless World to interconnect with Innovative's local lines. Under federal deregulation laws, Wireless World is seeking to provide local telephone service in direct competition with Innovative, which to date has had a monopoly on local service. Wireless World and Innovative each will be assessed $50,000 to cover costs incurred by the PSC in hiring the consultant and holding hearings on the matter.
"Conveniently, AUS consulting was selected to conduct a rate investigation for a company they worked for," Donastorg said. "I don’t find that to be highly highly coincidental. I don’t consider it to be fair to the consumer to have the deck stacked against them."
GUN AMNESTY STARTS THIS WEEK
July 10, 2001 – A territory-wide weapons amnesty period was announced Tuesday by Police Commissioner Franz Christian. Citizens possessing unlicenced or unregistered firearms may turn in weapons to their nearest police station from Tuesday through July 31.
The amnesty period is a prelude to VI Project Exile, a new violent crime reduction initiative beginning in the territory this week, which will send all persons convicted of gun crimes to off-island prisons.
Christian said he was pleased with the success of the territory's last amnesty program in 1999, and "is looking forward to increased participation for Amnesty 2001."
The commissioner said a limited cash incentive is being offered on certain firearms "to enable us to reach those persons who are in possession of illegal firearms."
Christian said that these amnesty programs "continue to increase community awareness on issues and laws regarding firearms." He added, "The Virgin Islands community has given the department a mandate to get rid of illegal guns and put those persons in jail who use them."
The commissioner also voiced his approval for the Gun Control Act of 2001, a measure sponsored by Sen. Emmett Hansen II which severely increases fines and penalties for firearms violations. It will come before the Senate Government Operations, Planning and Environmental Protection committee Thursday.
The amnesty period is a prelude to VI Project Exile, a new violent crime reduction initiative beginning in the territory this week, which will send all persons convicted of gun crimes to off-island prisons.
Christian said he was pleased with the success of the territory's last amnesty program in 1999, and "is looking forward to increased participation for Amnesty 2001."
The commissioner said a limited cash incentive is being offered on certain firearms "to enable us to reach those persons who are in possession of illegal firearms."
Christian said that these amnesty programs "continue to increase community awareness on issues and laws regarding firearms." He added, "The Virgin Islands community has given the department a mandate to get rid of illegal guns and put those persons in jail who use them."
The commissioner also voiced his approval for the Gun Control Act of 2001, a measure sponsored by Sen. Emmett Hansen II which severely increases fines and penalties for firearms violations. It will come before the Senate Government Operations, Planning and Environmental Protection committee Thursday.
