Thanks to Rodriguez Auto Parts, no more waiting with the phone to your ear. No more running around the island in traffic only to hear "we don't have it." Now, with only a few key strokes, you can check on the price and availability of all your auto part needs – and tires, too. So, before you have another company "special order" a part e-mail us with your needs. Rodriguez Auto has the largest part inventory on St. Thomas.
Just go to rodriguezautoparts.com and find the finest parts and tires available in St. Thomas.
Rodriguez Auto Parts at the Time Center in Tutu
– Serving the automotive needs of St.Thomas for 30 years through three generations.
– Fast and friendly tire service. The most frequent comment made by our tire customers is "I can't believe how fast my tires were mounted, that other place is a all day affair."
– Brand name parts at the lowest prices… most frequent comment made by our parts customers is " I can't believe how much those other places wanted for the same part, same brand."
– ACDelco batteries – with a seven-year warranty – won't leave you stranded, like some cheap batteries we know.
Here's what our customers say:
Ron Schmiden of the Martin Wood Company: "I was quoted $89 for a suspension part for my truck by a special order company and Rodriguez had exact same part same brand for $19.00. I couldn't believe the price difference. These overnight parts delivery companies try to take advantage of people who don't know. I really trust Rodriguez Auto Parts."
Carlyle Small, a taxi driver with Islander Taxi, and a Rodriguez Auto Parts customer for over 25 years: " I am a taxi driver. I don't have time to waste. At Rodriguez Auto Parts I get my tires installed quickly, get the best price and their tires really last. I can't afford to buy tires anywhere else."
Rodriguez Auto Parts is currently the sole official distributor of the following brand names: BFGoodrich, Cooper,Toyo, Goodyear, Uniroyal, Michelin, ACDelco, Monroe, Gates, Rodson, Kendall, Orange County, and AutoSpecialty.
Just go to rodriguezautoparts.com and find the finest parts and tires available in St. Thomas – without leaving your desk!

June 22, 2001 — Karen Andrews, the administration's chief labor negotiator, explained to the Source Friday the disparity some have questioned between a widely published figure of $10 million for government workers' salary increases and a $30 million figure Andrews cited during Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's Monday press conference.
In a Monday article, the Source paraphrased the governor as saying that the territory's financial picture is looking up, and the $30 million just allocated for step salary increases can be sustained as long as the money keeps rolling in.
Andrews said the two figures have two different applications:
"The majority of the $10 million figure is primarily to go back to the table and bring expired contracts more current," she said.
The $30 million is the recurring cost of maintaining step increases for all employees with negotiated contracts, she said, and it will be in the administration's Fiscal Year 2002 budget.
Andrews said she is currently involved in talks with the Finance and Personnel Departments regarding the nuts and bolts of implementing the step increases.

June 22, 2001 — Karen Andrews, the administration's chief labor negotiator, explained to the Source Friday the disparity some have questioned between a widely published figure of $10 million for government workers' salary increases and a $30 million figure Andrews cited during Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's Monday press conference.
In a Monday article, the Source paraphrased the governor as saying that the territory's financial picture is looking up, and the $30 million just allocated for step salary increases can be sustained as long as the money keeps rolling in.
Andrews said the two figures have two different applications:
"The majority of the $10 million figure is primarily to go back to the table and bring expired contracts more current," she said.
The $30 million is the recurring cost of maintaining step increases for all employees with negotiated contracts, she said, and it will be in the administration's Fiscal Year 2002 budget.
Andrews said she is currently involved in talks with the Finance and Personnel Departments regarding the nuts and bolts of implementing the step increases.

June 22, 2001 – A delegation of government officials and civic leaders from the British Virgin Islands will travel to St. Thomas to take part in activities Saturday observing the 29th annual United States Virgin Islands/ British Virgin Islands Friendship Day.
For the second year in a row, the day is being celebrated at the beginning of hurricane season, instead of October, when it traditionally had been held.
"It kept getting interrupted by hurricanes," a Government House spokesperson explained.
Last year's festivities were held on Tortola in May.
This year's celebration will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a breakfast at Government House and continue at 11 a.m. with a formal ceremony at Emancipation Garden.
"Historically, the people of the United State Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands have always enjoyed and continue to enjoy a warm relationship," Gov. Charles W. Turnbull said. "Many of our Virgin Islands government leaders, business and professional people, and residents can trace their roots to the British Virgin Islands."
Turnbull encouraged "the people of the USVI" to join in the observance of the celebration. The ceremonies at Emancipation Garden will be followed by a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort.

June 22, 2001 – Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel will hold a town meeting on the Nadir Gut development project at 6 p.m. Monday at the Nadir basketball court.
The impetus for the meeting came from the Nadir community's young people, because the project will run through the Nadir basketball court, she said.
The infamous "bridge to nowhere" by the busy intersection of roads from Bovoni, Tutu and Red Hook has symbolized the frustration of Nadir residents for years, standing useless while no work is done to prevent the flooding the area suffers each year in storm season.
When the project will be finished is a "million-dollar question," Pickard-Samuel said. However, the good news is that it is about to move forward. She has invited officials of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Water and Power Authority, and Public Works and Housing, Parks and Recreation Departments to the meeting.
The project involves rerouting of the Nadir gut. Pickard-Samuel said she hopes it will also include finding a new home for the basketball court. She said Ira Hobson, Housing, Parks and Recreation commissioner, is "especially sensitive" to relocating the basketball court, the only outdoor recreation site in Nadir.
The senator said she hopes Nadir residents will attend the meeting to hear the officials "explain to us in layman's English the phases of the project, the impact on traffic and the estimated date of completion."

June 15, 2001 – "Heritage, Culture and Fun for Festival 2001" is the theme of this year's St. John Festival. Here's the schedule of events from the June 2 kick-off through the Fourth of July finale. This article is being updated as new information becomes available.
Saturday, June 2 – 6 p.m., Pan-O-Rama, Cruz Bay Park. A dozen steelbands from St. John and St. Thomas are all winners in this non-competition event. Admission free.
Friday, June 8 – 8 p.m., Family Cultural Night, Winston Wells Ball Park. Fun and games including tug-of-war and a greased-pig contest. Admission free.
Friday, June 15 – 8:30 a.m., Bike race departing from the National Park Visitor Center dock and covering 15.3 miles. There's a $5 entry fee, payable before the race starts.
Friday, June 15 – 8 p.m., Salsa Night, Winston Wells Ball Field. The DW Band from Puerto Rico will perform. Admission $10 in advance, $15 at the gate.
Saturday, June 16 – 8 p.m., Calypso Show, Winston Wells Ball Field – postponed due to rain and rescheduled for Friday, June 22.
Sunday, June 17 – 7:30 p.m., Princess Show, Winston Wells Ball Field – postponed because of one of the contestants having pneumonia and rescheduled for Thursday, June 28.
Thursday, June 21 – 8 p.m., Comedy Show / Liars Festival, Winston Wells Ball Field. Participants include Dale Blackwood, Leon Danet, Magic Danet, Jimmy Powell, Pimpy Thomas and, from Tortola, Webb Frett – plus other surprise guests. Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights will provide musical entertainment.
Friday, June 22 – 6 p.m., Senior Citizen Talent and Variety Show, Winston Wells Ball Field. This is a new addition to the traditional festival lineup. Admission $10. Note: This event initially was scheduled for 7 p.m. but was moved back to add the calypso show, rained out on June 16. 8 p.m., Calypso Show, Winston Wells Ball Field. Featured performers include King Derby, Pat Ragguette, Tumba, Whadablee, Figgy, Calypso Sis, Super T, Mighty Groover, Singing Sandra and Tommy Joseph. Other attractions include the Caribbean Ritual Dancers and the V.I. Carnival King and Queen of the Band, William "Champagne" Chandler of Elskoe and Associates and Reisa Jackson of Jus Action. Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the gate.
Saturday, June 23 – 7:30 p.m., Queen Show, Winston Wells Ball Field. Jennifer Dalmida, Catikawa Richardson and Lisa Powell are vying for the title of St. John Festival Queen. Tickets for adults $12 in advance, $15 at the gate; $8 for children under 12 either way.
Sunday, June 24 – 1 p.m., Queen Coronation and official opening of the Food Fair, this year honoring Gwendolyn Douglas, Cruz Bay Park. Ah We Band and Lashing Dog from Tortola will provide music. 2 p.m., Boat Races, Cruz Bay harbor. 8 p.m., Reggae Night, Winston Wells Ball Field. Scheduled to appear are Quito Rhymer from Tortola, Inner Vision, Star Lion Family and other surprise guests. Admission $7 in advance, $10 at the gate.
Monday, June 25 – noon, The 73rd Army Band in concert, Cruz Bay Park. This is the V.I. Army National Guard band, formerly known as the 666th. Admission is free.
Wednesday, June 27 – 7 p.m., Festival Party, Winston Wells Ball Field. P’your Passion and Jam Band will provide music. Admission is $10.
Thursday, June 28 – 7:30 p.m., Princess Show, Winston Wells Ball Field, rescheduled from June 17. Vying for the crown this year are Alesha Powell, Kerla Fessale and Shakwana Albert. Admission for adults $10 in advance, $12 at the gate; $7 for children under 12 either way. 8 p.m., Mr. Emancipation Show, Winston Wells Ball Field, was initially scheduled for this time but has been rescheduled for July 3.
Friday, June 29 – 1 p.m., – Cultural Day, Cruz Bay Park. The Eddie Bruce Combo and storyteller Gilbert Sprauve will be featured. 6 p.m., Children's Village opens, offering fun, games and food and drink in a drug- and alcohol-free environment for youngsters ages 4-13, plus bingo and a raffle for adults. Game tickets are 50 cents, and winners get tokens that can be accumulated to claim prizes. Hours are 6-10 p.m. 7 p.m., Boynes-Jackson Village opens, honoring Cheryl Boynes-Jackson.
Saturday, June 30 – 6-10 p.m., Children's Village is open. See June 29 listing for details.
Sunday, July 1 – 6-10 p.m., Children's Village is open. See June 29 listing for details.
Monday, July 2 – 6-10 p.m., Children's Village is open. See June 29 listing for details.
Tuesday, July 3 – 6-10 p.m., Children's Village is open. See June 29 listing for details. 8 p.m., Mr. Emancipation Show, Winston Wells Ball Field. This first-time festival event, rescheduled from June 28, is a male pageant/competition in which the three contestants will be judged in sleepwear instead of swimwear. It's being presented by the Love City Pan Dragons steelpan group. Admission information will be announced.
Wednesday, July 4 – 4 a.m., J'Ouvert, beginning at the Cruz Bay Tennis Courts. Imagination Brass, Cool Session, CMK and Positive Image will provide music. 11 a.m., Festival parade, Cruz Bay. 9 p.m., Fireworks, Cruz Bay Park.
Tickets for paid-admission events can be purchased in advance on St. John at the St. John Drug Pharmacy in Cruz Bay, and on St. Thomas at International Records and Tapes in Charlotte Amalie.
Leona Smith chairs the St. John Festival Committee. For more information about festival events, call her at 693-8036.

Molly Morris
June 21, 2001 – In signing the step-increase bill into law, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull line-item vetoed one of the multiple amendments because "it goes beyond what is currently required to get our government employees and retirees adequate insurance protection," he said in a release late Thursday.
"The section is far-reaching and requires additional research by the Health Insurance Board and input from the public, especially government employees," he said.
The item covers contract negotiations and renewals by the governor, the board and proposed insurers. It would have required the board to submit at least three bids to the governor with recommendations at least 180 days prior to the expiration date of an existing contract.
Rina Jacobs McBrowne, the governor's public information officer, confirmed Friday that Turnbull approved all of the other amendments tacked onto the bill.
Those amendments:
– Authorize the governor to reopen negotiation with the local chapters of the American Federation of Teachers to increase entry-level salaries of public school teachers.
– Appropriate $500,000 to the Education Department for teacher training and recruitment.
– Appropriate $9 million to the Internal Revenue Bureau to improve tax collection, train staff and contract for improved processing.
– Appropriate $1.2 million for a parking facility in Cruz Bay, St. John.
– Provide $210,591 from the Homestead and Home Loan Fund as a 10 percent match to $2.1 million that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted to the Housing, Parks and Recreation Department for infrastructure of the Castle Burke development on St. Croix.
– Require government salary increases to become effective by Oct. 18, and retirees' adjusted annuities to be paid by Aug. 31.
– Appropriate $50,000 to the Public Works Department for cleanup in Cruz Bay following the St. John Festival.
For details on the governor's signing of the bill Thursday, see story titled Turnbill signs step increase into law.

June 21, 2001 – In signing the step-increase bill into law, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull line-item vetoed one of the multiple amendments because "it goes beyond what is currently required to get our government employees and retirees adequate insurance protection," he said in a release late Thursday.
"The section is far-reaching and requires additional research by the Health Insurance Board and input from the public, especially government employees," he said.
The item covers contract negotiations and renewals by the governor, the board and proposed insurers. It would have required the board to submit at least three bids to the governor with recommendations at least 180 days prior to the expiration date of an existing contract.
Rina Jacobs McBrowne, the governor's public information officer, confirmed Friday that Turnbull approved all of the other amendments tacked onto the bill.
Those amendments:
– Authorize the governor to reopen negotiation with the local chapters of the American Federation of Teachers to increase entry-level salaries of public school teachers.
– Appropriate $500,000 to the Education Department for teacher training and recruitment.
– Appropriate $9 million to the Internal Revenue Bureau to improve tax collection, train staff and contract for improved processing.
– Appropriate $1.2 million for a parking facility in Cruz Bay, St. John.
– Provide $210,591 from the Homestead and Home Loan Fund as a 10 percent match to $2.1 million that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted to the Housing, Parks and Recreation Department for infrastructure of the Castle Burke development on St. Croix.
– Require government salary increases to become effective by Oct. 18, and retirees' adjusted annuities to be paid by Aug. 31.
– Appropriate $50,000 to the Public Works Department for cleanup in Cruz Bay following the St. John Festival.
For details on the governor's signing of the bill Thursday, see story titled Turnbill signs step increase into law.

June 22, 2001 – Stories, stories and more stories were the order of the evening Thursday at the St. John Festival's Comedy Show/Liars Fest in the Winston Wells Ball Field.
Seasoned performers and comical wannabees joined forces to provide the audience with a patchwork of preposterous prose and poems, ranging from simply silly to absolutely outrageous. In a special appearance, magicians Captain Magic and Doctor Cha Cha Cha amazed the crowd with their mind-boggling telepathy.
The St. Croix scratch band Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights got everyone in a listening mood for the half-dozen men who took the stage with tales to tell.
Organizer Rudolph "Pimpy" Thomas, a seasoned storyteller himself, was master of ceremonies, while St. Johnian Oswin Sewer and Glenn "Kwabena" Davis, a teacher at Eudora Kean High School on St. Thomas, set the standard for the evening. Doctor Cha Cha Cha, the only female to take the microphone, wondered aloud why no other women were performing, surmising that it must just be impossible for women to lie.
Davis told of a boat he and his family were on, before he was born, which was involved in an altercation with a fish "as tall as Julius Sprauve School."
Thomas said the liars fest was the first to be held on St. John since one was rained out a decade ago. More than a dozen performers had been scheduled to take part, but many developed last-minute stage fright.
Nevertheless, the audience of about 60 had a few laughs, and more than enough stories to pass on.
On the St. John Festival schedule this weekend are a senior citizens talent show Friday at 6 p.m., the annual calypso show (rescheduled after last Saturday's rain) following at 8 p.m., the queen competition Saturday at 8 p.m. and a full day of activities Sunday — the coronation of royalty and food fair opening at 1 p.m., boat races from 2 p.m. and a reggae concert at 8 p.m.
Click here for the complete St. John Festival schedule, including ticket information.

The Virgin Islands ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Vacancy Announcement

Seeking qualified candidate to fill the position of CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
As the operational phase of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) approaches, the CEO must provide leadership, overall direction and administration of all the activities of the EDA. Ongoing policies, procedures, accounting and record keeping systems must be established and maintained. Employees must be adequately trained and supervised to ascertain that they could effectively carry out their assignments in accordance with the expectation, taking into consideration productivity and operational efficiency. Various issues regarding detailed treatment must be effectively addressed while long-range strategic planning continues. This period of time is critical in regards to the potential impact on the future successful operation of the EDA.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) shall be appointed by the Board exclusively upon the basis of merit as determined by technical training, skill, experience, and other qualifications best suited to carrying out the purposes of the Authority. The CEO shall act at the direction of the Board.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The CEO shall be of outstanding qualifications known to be familiar and sympathetic with small business needs and problems, and shall not engage in any business, vocation, or employment other than that of serving as Chief Executive Officer.
The duties of the CEO include but are not limited to the overall management of the businesses and activities of the Government Development Bank, Small Business Development Agency, Economic Development Commission, Industrial Development Park Corporation, and the supervision of the employees of these agencies and the general conduct of the affairs; and such duties as may be assigned, under the appropriate guidance of the Board of Directors.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop long and short range plans to meet the needs of the Virgin Islands consistent with the economic growth and development.
Interpret and administer the general policies established by the Board of Directors and implements them by formulating and establishing specific policies, programs, rules and regulations for approval by the Board.
Dispense advice, guidance, direction, and authorization to carry out major plans and procedures, consistent with established policies and Board approval.
Oversee the adequacy and soundness of the EDA financial structure.
Review operating results of the EDA, compares them to established objectives, and takes steps to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to correct unsatisfactory results.
Make recommendations to the Board for the investment or reinvestment of funds of the EDA.
Prepare the Annual Report on the operation of the EDA and submit the same to the Board for its approval and to the Government and the Legislature for their information.
Attend all Board meeting and carry out the resolution and directives of the Board.
Represent the EDA with major customers, shareholders, the financial community and the public.
Direct the activities of authority personnel through the development and administration of an EDA plan, which establishes and defines lines of authority and responsibility.
Conduct staff meetings to coordinate operations and broaden the scope of communication throughout the Authority.
EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:
Graduate degree from an accredited university with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Banking or related fields and a minimum of 5 – 10 years of successful experience in executive level management in finance, banking or comparable experience/education is required.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Ability to understand and prepare detailed operating and capital budgets. CEO should also be familiar with federal Grants and program.
Knowledge and expertise in business management and financial planning.
Knowledge of generally accepted principles of accounting, fiscal, and auditing procedures.
Ability to read, analyze and prepare financial statements.
Ability to effectively manage and supervise personnel.
A proven ability to plan, coordinate and control the activities and operations of the EDA as mandated by law.
Ability to express himself/herself in a clear and concise manner in both oral and written communication.
General knowledge of business and tax law.
Compensation is commensurate with experience. Please mail your resume no later than July 6, 2001 to the:
Economic Development Authority
Attn: Nadine Marchena
Acting Chief Executive Officer
1050 Norre Gade #5
St. Thomas, V.I. 00802
or email it to vieda@ekalaloo.com