June 19, 2001 — The Department of Labor, Division of Training, will be accepting applications for summer employment, from St. John residents between the ages of 15 to 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. beginning Monday at the St. John Department of Labor administrator's office.
The office will also accept applications during the same hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 26 and 27.
For more information call the Division of Training, 776-3700, ext. 2087.
LACK OF QUORUM SHUTS DOWN PSC MEETING
June 19, 2001 — The V.I. Public Services Commission on Tuesday was forced to cancel its meeting absent the four members needed for a quorum.
With a full complement of commissioners, the PSC board is made up of nine members, two of whom are non-voting, ex-officio members from the Senate. Currently there are six members, with all but one serving longer than their allotted terms. A seventh seat is vacant.
Members serve three-year terms and may serve until a successor is sworn in. The term of commission chairman Walter Challenger, the only commissioner present Tuesday, expired in June 1999.
At the meeting Tuesday, Challenger hinted that the problem with achieving quorum wasn't a matter of the expired terms but instead controversy surrounding the commission.
"It's not a lack of members," Challenger said, apparently alluding to frequent criticism by observers of the PSC under his tenure for its dealings with Innovative Telephone (formerly Vitelco), particularly Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg.
Last month, the PSC encountered another quorum problem when it approved the hiring of a consulting firm to conduct rate investigations on public utilities in the territory, including Innovative Telephone. The firm, AUS Consulting, was approved by only three members after Commissioner Desmond Maynard left the meeting shortly after it began, protesting the hiring of AUS.
That left three commission members present: Challenger, Patrick Williams and Alecia Wells. According to V.I. Code, the quorum for the body is four members. Williams, however, said it was legal for the meeting to continue because a quorum had been established before Maynard left. That prompted Donastorg, who sponsored the legislation calling for rate investigations, to say the PSC was operating improperly.
But on Tuesday, the meeting didn't even get going before Challenger called it off. At that point, he lambasted the media for criticizing his chairmanship.
"It's not easy to be in my position. I take it, most of the time I don't respond," he said. "I'm open like a book."
At a press conference Monday, Gov. Charles Turnbull said he had nominated several people for the PSC, but that they withdrew their names because they would have to go before the Senate in what would likely be a contentious confirmation process. He did say that he is working on putting together another batch of nominees.
Government House spokeswoman Rena McBrowne said the PSC is a board that "demands attention."
"It's been kind of difficult to get people," she said.
Meanwhile, the proposed agenda for Tuesday included items regarding interconnect agreements between, among other companies,Vitelco and Wireless World.
Other agenda items included the proposed rate investigations for Innovative Telephone, the V.I. Water and Power Authority, Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures, and Innovative Cable St. Thomas and St. Croix.
The PSC's current voting members are Challenger, Dora S. Hill and Maynard from St. Thomas; Williams and Luther Felix Renee from St. Croix; and Wells from St. John. There is one vacant St. Croix seat.
Commission members are paid $50 per board meeting, or about $38 after taxes.
Here is the current list of voting PSC members and their terms of appointment:
-– Alecia M. Wells, St. John, 4/22/98 – 4/21/01.
-– Walter L. Challenger (chair), St. Thomas, 6/3/96 – 6/2/99.
–- Desmond Maynard, St. Thomas, 7/11/95 – 7/10/98. (Maynard was reappointed for another three-year term.)
–- Dora S. Hill, St. Thomas, 6/3/96 – 6/2/99.
–- Patrick N. Williams, St. Croix, 3/12/97 – 3/11/00.
–- Luther Felix Renee, St. Croix. 7/24/98 – 7/23/01.
–- Vacancy, St. Croix.
With a full complement of commissioners, the PSC board is made up of nine members, two of whom are non-voting, ex-officio members from the Senate. Currently there are six members, with all but one serving longer than their allotted terms. A seventh seat is vacant.
Members serve three-year terms and may serve until a successor is sworn in. The term of commission chairman Walter Challenger, the only commissioner present Tuesday, expired in June 1999.
At the meeting Tuesday, Challenger hinted that the problem with achieving quorum wasn't a matter of the expired terms but instead controversy surrounding the commission.
"It's not a lack of members," Challenger said, apparently alluding to frequent criticism by observers of the PSC under his tenure for its dealings with Innovative Telephone (formerly Vitelco), particularly Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg.
Last month, the PSC encountered another quorum problem when it approved the hiring of a consulting firm to conduct rate investigations on public utilities in the territory, including Innovative Telephone. The firm, AUS Consulting, was approved by only three members after Commissioner Desmond Maynard left the meeting shortly after it began, protesting the hiring of AUS.
That left three commission members present: Challenger, Patrick Williams and Alecia Wells. According to V.I. Code, the quorum for the body is four members. Williams, however, said it was legal for the meeting to continue because a quorum had been established before Maynard left. That prompted Donastorg, who sponsored the legislation calling for rate investigations, to say the PSC was operating improperly.
But on Tuesday, the meeting didn't even get going before Challenger called it off. At that point, he lambasted the media for criticizing his chairmanship.
"It's not easy to be in my position. I take it, most of the time I don't respond," he said. "I'm open like a book."
At a press conference Monday, Gov. Charles Turnbull said he had nominated several people for the PSC, but that they withdrew their names because they would have to go before the Senate in what would likely be a contentious confirmation process. He did say that he is working on putting together another batch of nominees.
Government House spokeswoman Rena McBrowne said the PSC is a board that "demands attention."
"It's been kind of difficult to get people," she said.
Meanwhile, the proposed agenda for Tuesday included items regarding interconnect agreements between, among other companies,Vitelco and Wireless World.
Other agenda items included the proposed rate investigations for Innovative Telephone, the V.I. Water and Power Authority, Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures, and Innovative Cable St. Thomas and St. Croix.
The PSC's current voting members are Challenger, Dora S. Hill and Maynard from St. Thomas; Williams and Luther Felix Renee from St. Croix; and Wells from St. John. There is one vacant St. Croix seat.
Commission members are paid $50 per board meeting, or about $38 after taxes.
Here is the current list of voting PSC members and their terms of appointment:
-– Alecia M. Wells, St. John, 4/22/98 – 4/21/01.
-– Walter L. Challenger (chair), St. Thomas, 6/3/96 – 6/2/99.
–- Desmond Maynard, St. Thomas, 7/11/95 – 7/10/98. (Maynard was reappointed for another three-year term.)
–- Dora S. Hill, St. Thomas, 6/3/96 – 6/2/99.
–- Patrick N. Williams, St. Croix, 3/12/97 – 3/11/00.
–- Luther Felix Renee, St. Croix. 7/24/98 – 7/23/01.
–- Vacancy, St. Croix.
GOT MILK? SINCE WHEN? DOES IT MATTER?
At a recent hearing of the Senate Committee on Economic Development chaired by Sen. Adelbert Bryan, an issue was hotly debated about enforcement of the milk pull date law. David Schuster representing Island Dairies and St. Thomas Dairies showed great concern over DLCA’s lack of enforcement of an approximately 15-year-old law requiring a 10-day shelf life for milk sold in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As commissioner of DLCA, I became aware of this law by notification from Mr. Schuster. Our agency had no prior history or enforcement policy about this law that anyone could remember. However, we respect all laws and have developed a strategy for enforcement. The importers of pasteurized milk were informed in writing of this law and were required to pull their imported milk from the shelves 10 days from the date of pasteurization or face fines.
To understand the impact of this law, one must know a little of how imported milk is processed, shipped and marketed. There are currently four brands of milk being imported into the territory. They carry a shelf lives of 12, 14 and 18 days from the date of manufacture or pasteurization. With today’s technological advancements in pasteurization and refrigeration in shipping, these shelf life dates have become industry standards. Milk kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit is optimum for preserving quality, and today’s refrigerated shipping methods can easily achieve this temperature.
When you do the math on the date of pasteurization plus shipping to the islands, you have used approximately five of the 10 days of shelf life already. By Virgin Islands law, that leaves a retailer only five days to sell an inventory of milk. Yet supermarkets still import milk — because of customer demand and lower price in some instances.
Mr. Schuster’s argument is persuasive that his milk is the freshest on the market. Please note that this only applies to Island Dairies of St. Croix. There is no lengthy shipping time, and milk is produced daily from cows on St. Croix. Where Mr. Schuster falls short is when, through special legislation, an artificial barrier is used to deny Virgin Islands consumers a choice in their milk selection.
There is no doubt that our enforcement of the milk law has impacted the pricing and availability of stateside milk. Sometimes to the detriment of local milk producers, stores have had to discount imported milk to beat the deadline for removing it from their shelves, thereby making it more attractive to thrifty consumers.
As DLCA is mandated to protect the consumers against unfair trade practices such as special-interest legislation enacted only to protect one milk producer against competition, we must alert the public. Given that no one can argue successfully that 12-, 14- or even 18-day-old milk is in any great degree less nutritious or fresh than 10-day-old milk, why not let consumers decide what milk they wish to purchase?
Island Dairies and their counterpart on St. Thomas are one entity, an islandwide corporation called Trans-Caribbean Dairy Corp. They have recently been given a 25-year tax-benefit package that exempts them from most taxes and fees. I support this subsidization for many reasons. First and foremost, St. Croix has a large investment in capital and jobs for producing milk. We need to support this industry to protect against dependency on imports for our survival.
What does not make sense is extending these same benefits to St. Thomas Dairies, which imports all of its milk and reconstitutes it for local consumption. It also competes with Island Dairies for the same market. I have a hard time accepting Mr. Schuster’s argument of "fresh is best" when his company also sells imported fresh powder milk to reconstitute with local water in the marketplace.
The bottom line is, give the consumer the right to choose. If Mr. Schuster’s milk is the best tasting, freshest and most nutritious, then market it as such and win the customer’s loyalty. If the government needs to subsidize a local industry because of its strategic importance, then lobby the Legislature and governor for more milk subsidies.
But it is ultimately consumers who will prevail in their choice of product, and so it should be. Any artificial manipulation of the marketplace is bad policy for consumers and usually results in higher prices for an already overburdened public.
As commissioner of DLCA, I became aware of this law by notification from Mr. Schuster. Our agency had no prior history or enforcement policy about this law that anyone could remember. However, we respect all laws and have developed a strategy for enforcement. The importers of pasteurized milk were informed in writing of this law and were required to pull their imported milk from the shelves 10 days from the date of pasteurization or face fines.
To understand the impact of this law, one must know a little of how imported milk is processed, shipped and marketed. There are currently four brands of milk being imported into the territory. They carry a shelf lives of 12, 14 and 18 days from the date of manufacture or pasteurization. With today’s technological advancements in pasteurization and refrigeration in shipping, these shelf life dates have become industry standards. Milk kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit is optimum for preserving quality, and today’s refrigerated shipping methods can easily achieve this temperature.
When you do the math on the date of pasteurization plus shipping to the islands, you have used approximately five of the 10 days of shelf life already. By Virgin Islands law, that leaves a retailer only five days to sell an inventory of milk. Yet supermarkets still import milk — because of customer demand and lower price in some instances.
Mr. Schuster’s argument is persuasive that his milk is the freshest on the market. Please note that this only applies to Island Dairies of St. Croix. There is no lengthy shipping time, and milk is produced daily from cows on St. Croix. Where Mr. Schuster falls short is when, through special legislation, an artificial barrier is used to deny Virgin Islands consumers a choice in their milk selection.
There is no doubt that our enforcement of the milk law has impacted the pricing and availability of stateside milk. Sometimes to the detriment of local milk producers, stores have had to discount imported milk to beat the deadline for removing it from their shelves, thereby making it more attractive to thrifty consumers.
As DLCA is mandated to protect the consumers against unfair trade practices such as special-interest legislation enacted only to protect one milk producer against competition, we must alert the public. Given that no one can argue successfully that 12-, 14- or even 18-day-old milk is in any great degree less nutritious or fresh than 10-day-old milk, why not let consumers decide what milk they wish to purchase?
Island Dairies and their counterpart on St. Thomas are one entity, an islandwide corporation called Trans-Caribbean Dairy Corp. They have recently been given a 25-year tax-benefit package that exempts them from most taxes and fees. I support this subsidization for many reasons. First and foremost, St. Croix has a large investment in capital and jobs for producing milk. We need to support this industry to protect against dependency on imports for our survival.
What does not make sense is extending these same benefits to St. Thomas Dairies, which imports all of its milk and reconstitutes it for local consumption. It also competes with Island Dairies for the same market. I have a hard time accepting Mr. Schuster’s argument of "fresh is best" when his company also sells imported fresh powder milk to reconstitute with local water in the marketplace.
The bottom line is, give the consumer the right to choose. If Mr. Schuster’s milk is the best tasting, freshest and most nutritious, then market it as such and win the customer’s loyalty. If the government needs to subsidize a local industry because of its strategic importance, then lobby the Legislature and governor for more milk subsidies.
But it is ultimately consumers who will prevail in their choice of product, and so it should be. Any artificial manipulation of the marketplace is bad policy for consumers and usually results in higher prices for an already overburdened public.
AD CLUB AUCTION IS FRIDAY ON ST. THOMAS
June 19, 2001 – The Advertising Club of the Virgin Islands will hold its annual auction along with its annual meeting on Friday at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas Hotel.
The auction is the organization's annual fundraiser to support its summer professional internship program for students. It's an opportunity for members and the general public "to pick up a piece of artwork, a sensational piece of jewelry, arts and crafts, meals at local restaurants, valuable goods and services, great media buys and more," the club president, Norita Lee, says.
The evening will begin with cocktails and a preview of the auction offerings at 6 p.m. in the hotel's Leeward Room. Following a brief business meeting, induction of the 2001-02 board of directors and presentation of media awards, the auction will get under way. The $15 admission fee includes hors d'oeuvres and the right to bid in the auction. There will be a cash bar.
The annual event is an opportunity to "have fun while contributing to the primary fundraiser of the Ad Club" and "pick up some great bargains" at the same time, Lee says.
The internship program is fully funded by the auction, she notes, and "is designed to benefit the youth of our islands and the professional growth of our business community."
For reservations, call Austin Advertising at 776-7828.
The auction is the organization's annual fundraiser to support its summer professional internship program for students. It's an opportunity for members and the general public "to pick up a piece of artwork, a sensational piece of jewelry, arts and crafts, meals at local restaurants, valuable goods and services, great media buys and more," the club president, Norita Lee, says.
The evening will begin with cocktails and a preview of the auction offerings at 6 p.m. in the hotel's Leeward Room. Following a brief business meeting, induction of the 2001-02 board of directors and presentation of media awards, the auction will get under way. The $15 admission fee includes hors d'oeuvres and the right to bid in the auction. There will be a cash bar.
The annual event is an opportunity to "have fun while contributing to the primary fundraiser of the Ad Club" and "pick up some great bargains" at the same time, Lee says.
The internship program is fully funded by the auction, she notes, and "is designed to benefit the youth of our islands and the professional growth of our business community."
For reservations, call Austin Advertising at 776-7828.
AD CLUB AUCTION IS FRIDAY AT THE RITZ-CARLTON
June 19, 2001 – The Advertising Club of the Virgin Islands will hold its annual auction along with its annual meeting on Friday at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas Hotel.
The auction is the organization's annual fundraiser to support its summer professional internship program for students. It's an opportunity for members and the general public "to pick up a piece of artwork, a sensational piece of jewelry, arts and crafts, meals at local restaurants, valuable goods and services, great media buys and more," the club president, Norita Lee, says.
The evening will begin with cocktails and a preview of the auction offerings at 6 p.m. in the hotel's Leeward Room. Following a brief business meeting, induction of the 2001-02 board of directors and presentation of media awards, the auction will get under way. The $15 admission fee includes hors d'oeuvres and the right to bid in the auction. There will be a cash bar.
The annual event is an opportunity to "have fun while contributing to the primary fundraiser of the Ad Club" and "pick up some great bargains" at the same time, Lee says.
The internship program is fully funded by the auction, she notes, and "is designed to benefit the youth of our islands and the professional growth of our business community."
For reservations, call Austin Advertising at 776-7828.
The auction is the organization's annual fundraiser to support its summer professional internship program for students. It's an opportunity for members and the general public "to pick up a piece of artwork, a sensational piece of jewelry, arts and crafts, meals at local restaurants, valuable goods and services, great media buys and more," the club president, Norita Lee, says.
The evening will begin with cocktails and a preview of the auction offerings at 6 p.m. in the hotel's Leeward Room. Following a brief business meeting, induction of the 2001-02 board of directors and presentation of media awards, the auction will get under way. The $15 admission fee includes hors d'oeuvres and the right to bid in the auction. There will be a cash bar.
The annual event is an opportunity to "have fun while contributing to the primary fundraiser of the Ad Club" and "pick up some great bargains" at the same time, Lee says.
The internship program is fully funded by the auction, she notes, and "is designed to benefit the youth of our islands and the professional growth of our business community."
For reservations, call Austin Advertising at 776-7828.
TRADITIONAL STORYTELLERS TO 'PASS IT ON'
June 19, 2001 – Storytelling and other oral traditions of the Virgin Islands will be the focus of a "Pass It On" presentation Thursday at the V.I. Cultural Heritage Institute.
Lois Hassle Habteyes and Gilbert Sprauve, both practitioners as well as scholars of the oralture tradition, will share their expertise as well as favorite stories.
This is the second program in the institute's series on the art and craft of storytelling. While Habteyes, a St. Thomian, and Sprauve, a St. Johnian, have doctorate degrees and have written learned papers on the territory's oral traditions, "don't think that this program will be just an academic discussion," a release from the institute states. "These two are brilliant storytellers and musicians. It will be a fascinating and enlightening program for all."
"Pass It On" is a V.I. heritage preservation project that is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and supported by the V.I. Humanities Council.
The program begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and the public is welcome. The institute is located on lower Kongens Gade, also known as Education Street, across the street from the "White House." For further information, call the institute at 774-9537.
Lois Hassle Habteyes and Gilbert Sprauve, both practitioners as well as scholars of the oralture tradition, will share their expertise as well as favorite stories.
This is the second program in the institute's series on the art and craft of storytelling. While Habteyes, a St. Thomian, and Sprauve, a St. Johnian, have doctorate degrees and have written learned papers on the territory's oral traditions, "don't think that this program will be just an academic discussion," a release from the institute states. "These two are brilliant storytellers and musicians. It will be a fascinating and enlightening program for all."
"Pass It On" is a V.I. heritage preservation project that is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and supported by the V.I. Humanities Council.
The program begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and the public is welcome. The institute is located on lower Kongens Gade, also known as Education Street, across the street from the "White House." For further information, call the institute at 774-9537.
TONY BLANKLEY TO BE AT LOCAL GOP EVENT
June 19, 2001 – The Republican Party of the Virgin Islands will host a pre-Independence Day celebration and fundraiser at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Beach Resort on Friday, June 29, with two prominent Washington, D.C., personalities as special guests.
Attendees will have an opportunity to meet and greet network television commentator and syndicated newspaper columnist Tony Blankley and his wife, Lynda Davis, president of a Washington lobbying firm, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the "casual-elegant" cocktail gathering at the Smith Bay resort.
Blankley, known for his sharp wit, is a regular participant in the public affairs talk show "The McLaughlin Group" and on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" and CNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews." He was former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's press secretary for seven years and later wrote the "Between the Lines" column, an insiders' look at Washington, in George magazine, which was started by the late John F. Kennedy Jr. and recently discontinued publication.
Davis is president of Davis/O'Connell, a government relations firm specializing in educational work force and high-technology issues. She has worked with the U.S. Senate Budget and Appropriations Committees, the federal Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education. She was formerly Florida's state-federal liaison under Gov. Jeb Bush and his predecessor, Bob Martinez.
The event is a "non-partisan Independence Day celebration," according to a release, and the public is invited. Donations are $50. Tickets may be reserved by calling Frank Davis at 774-5764.
Attendees will have an opportunity to meet and greet network television commentator and syndicated newspaper columnist Tony Blankley and his wife, Lynda Davis, president of a Washington lobbying firm, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the "casual-elegant" cocktail gathering at the Smith Bay resort.
Blankley, known for his sharp wit, is a regular participant in the public affairs talk show "The McLaughlin Group" and on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" and CNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews." He was former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's press secretary for seven years and later wrote the "Between the Lines" column, an insiders' look at Washington, in George magazine, which was started by the late John F. Kennedy Jr. and recently discontinued publication.
Davis is president of Davis/O'Connell, a government relations firm specializing in educational work force and high-technology issues. She has worked with the U.S. Senate Budget and Appropriations Committees, the federal Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education. She was formerly Florida's state-federal liaison under Gov. Jeb Bush and his predecessor, Bob Martinez.
The event is a "non-partisan Independence Day celebration," according to a release, and the public is invited. Donations are $50. Tickets may be reserved by calling Frank Davis at 774-5764.
LATE REGISTRATION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Public School late registration for school year 2001-2 will be from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, August 22, at the Julius E. Sprauve School.
Parents must bring:
The child being registered
The child's original birth certificate (US citizens only)
Passports
Resident cards
Naturalizatio certificates (non-citizens)
VI immunization cards
Report cards from previous schools
Proof of parents' physical address
Child's social security card or number
Children registering for Kindergarten must be 5 years of age on or before December 31, 2001.
Parents must bring:
The child being registered
The child's original birth certificate (US citizens only)
Passports
Resident cards
Naturalizatio certificates (non-citizens)
VI immunization cards
Report cards from previous schools
Proof of parents' physical address
Child's social security card or number
Children registering for Kindergarten must be 5 years of age on or before December 31, 2001.
LATE 2001-02 SCHOOL YEAR REGISTRATION SCHEDULE
Public school late registration will be held from 8:15 until 12 noon from Thursday, July 5, to Thursday, July 26, at the Curriculum Center, across from the Seventh Day Adventist School in Estate Tutu.
Parents must bring:
The child being registered
The child's original birth certificate (US
citizens only)
Passports
Resident Cards
Naturalization Cerificates (non-citizens)
VI immunization cards
Report cards from previous schools
Proof of parents' physical address
Child's social security card or number
Schedule for late registration:
Date: First letter of child's last name:
July 5 A
July 6 B
July 9 C
July 10 D
July 11 E and F
July 12 G
July 13 H
July 16 I and J
July 17 K and L
July 18 M
July 19 N and O
July 20 P and Q
July 23 R
July 24 S
July 25 T
July 26 U through Z
Children registering for Kindergarten must be 5 years of age on or before December 31, 2001.
Parents must bring:
The child being registered
The child's original birth certificate (US
citizens only)
Passports
Resident Cards
Naturalization Cerificates (non-citizens)
VI immunization cards
Report cards from previous schools
Proof of parents' physical address
Child's social security card or number
Schedule for late registration:
Date: First letter of child's last name:
July 5 A
July 6 B
July 9 C
July 10 D
July 11 E and F
July 12 G
July 13 H
July 16 I and J
July 17 K and L
July 18 M
July 19 N and O
July 20 P and Q
July 23 R
July 24 S
July 25 T
July 26 U through Z
Children registering for Kindergarten must be 5 years of age on or before December 31, 2001.
ASSOCIATION OF CONCERNED NATIVE VIRGIN ISLANDERS
The Association of Concerned Native Virgin Islanders, Inc. will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27, at the American Legion Hall in Sub Base.
All members and interested Native Virgin Islanders are invited.
All members and interested Native Virgin Islanders are invited.
