June 15, 2001 — Despite calls for it to drop its lawsuit against the Legislature, the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted Thursday to press on with its effort to see the number of senators reduced.
"The board is stronger and even more vigorously behind the lawsuit," Carmelo Rivera, chamber president, said. "We will stand behind it."
The chamber board met Thursday to reconsider its June 1 decision to sue in an effort to force the Legislature to act in accordance with a referendum last November on reducing the number of senators from 15 to either 11 or nine. Out of more than 33,000 voters, some 15,000 expressed the desire for a nine-member Senate.
Legislators, except for Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, have been reluctant to acknowledge the mandate, pointing to opinions by the V.I. attorney general and supervisor of elections that a referendum is not binding.
Nonetheless, Rivera said, the sheer number of votes made it "very clear that they wanted some reform here."
Rivera said the chamber board voted to form a committee to look at election reform options, including districting and numbered seats. He said committee members will consider the viability of beginning the ballot initiative process aimed at reducing the number of senators.
"We will certainly be considering that," Rivera said. "It’s very simple: Government accountability is crucial to economic development. This is not self-serving. Good government is good for everyone."
The chamber decision to move ahead with its lawsuit came after the presidents of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association, and St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association wrote to Rivera last week saying the lawsuit would make it difficult for the groups to accomplish future goals that involve working with the Senate. Those goals include establishment of a private-public partnership tourism authority, tax reform and implementation of portions of the administration’s five-year economic plan.
BILL TO GIVE HOSPITALS MORE SAY CLEARS PANEL
June 14, 2001 – A bill to fine tune the semi-autonomy of the territory's hospitals was approved by the Senate Health and Hospitals Committee Wednesday, according to a committee release.
Sponsored by Sen. Douglas Canton, the committee chair, the "Healthcare Quality Improvement Act" would give the hospitals more say in hiring practices, among other things, and would let them acquire new equipment without having to go through a lengthy bidding process.
In another meeting of the committee earlier this month, health and hospital officials were sharply divided on the measure. The deputy Health commissioner, Lucien Moolenaar, had objected to allowing the hospitals more latitude for fear it would cause duplication of services. Both hospitals' top administrators disagreed. Eugene A. Woods, Roy Schneider Hospital chief executive officer, and Thomas Robinson, Juan Luis Hospital CEO, said it would "streamline" health care.
The bill also provides for the hospitals' CEO's, as well as the V.I. director of personnel, to sit on the Health Insurance Board, a measure again strongly endorsed by both hospital chiefs and challenged by Moolenaar.
The measure as approved at Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas included several amendments discussed at the previous meeting which allow the hospitals more independence. One would exempt all "critical" hospital employees from the attrition program (previously the exemption included only doctors and nurses). Another provides for improving coordination among the Health Department, the hospitals and the Myrah Keating Smith Health Center of St. John, which falls under the Schneider Hospital administration, by developing a clear understanding of the roles of each entity.
Sen. David Jones offered an amendment making all peer review information confidential except when involving criminal conduct.
The bill will now make its way to the Rules Committee.
The committee also addressed "the steady decline" in the Health Department's Division of Mental Health – Alcoholism and Drug Dependency services. Jaslene Williams, division acting director, said the situation has worsened as Health and Mental Health "have been forced to … provide quality services without one key necessity." This, she said, is "consistent leadership that could advocate for their respective minimum needs."
Williams said general deficiencies within the division include:
– Unhealthy and unsafe mental health facilities.
– An increasing volume of court orders to provide residential treatment, with no funding to do so.
– Extremely limited psychological services on St. Croix.
– Loss of federal funds.
– Lack of a detoxification facility in the territory.
"Substance abuse is prevalent in our society, like all societies," Williams said, and V.I. young people are at "terrible" risk.
And gambling addiction is now "the new monster in our midst," and people are losing their cars and their homes. "We are not ready, and we have no immediate hope of addressing this issue," she said.
The Avis reported that Williams also said the Charles Harwood Complex on St. Croix and the Michelle Motel facility on St. Thomas could lose federal funding because of disrepair. The newspaper also said that Mavis Matthew, acting Health commissioner, told the panel that the long-vacant position of Mental Health director had been filled. She didn't name the person hired but spoke of him in glowing terms.
William Elliott, chair of the V.I. Mental Health Advisory Council, said the council has played a vital role over the last 15 years in improving mental health services. However, he said, a "considerable amount of money has been spent on off-island treatment." Williams said he believes "most of that funding should be redirected to the territory to build and enhance services for long-term care."
Committee members at the morning session in addition to Canton and Jones were Sens. Lorraine Berry, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg and Roosevelt David. Sens. Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Vargrave Richards were excused.
With only the chair and Berry returning for the afternoon session, the panel of two — Canton and Berry — heard testimony about the disbursement revenues from the $1 emergency services surcharge on customers' telephone bills.
Ian E. Williams Sr., acting Fire Services director, testified, as he had earlier, that his department has received and is using the funds to which it is entitled. A representative from Emergency Medical Services gave a brief breakdown of that agency's utilization of its surcharge funds.
However, Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull failed to appear for the second time that the committee had invited her. This provoked Canton to conclude the meeting with the comment that he was "surprised" the commissioner or a representative hadn't shown up. "Without her, the questioning process on this matter would be difficult," he said.
Sponsored by Sen. Douglas Canton, the committee chair, the "Healthcare Quality Improvement Act" would give the hospitals more say in hiring practices, among other things, and would let them acquire new equipment without having to go through a lengthy bidding process.
In another meeting of the committee earlier this month, health and hospital officials were sharply divided on the measure. The deputy Health commissioner, Lucien Moolenaar, had objected to allowing the hospitals more latitude for fear it would cause duplication of services. Both hospitals' top administrators disagreed. Eugene A. Woods, Roy Schneider Hospital chief executive officer, and Thomas Robinson, Juan Luis Hospital CEO, said it would "streamline" health care.
The bill also provides for the hospitals' CEO's, as well as the V.I. director of personnel, to sit on the Health Insurance Board, a measure again strongly endorsed by both hospital chiefs and challenged by Moolenaar.
The measure as approved at Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas included several amendments discussed at the previous meeting which allow the hospitals more independence. One would exempt all "critical" hospital employees from the attrition program (previously the exemption included only doctors and nurses). Another provides for improving coordination among the Health Department, the hospitals and the Myrah Keating Smith Health Center of St. John, which falls under the Schneider Hospital administration, by developing a clear understanding of the roles of each entity.
Sen. David Jones offered an amendment making all peer review information confidential except when involving criminal conduct.
The bill will now make its way to the Rules Committee.
The committee also addressed "the steady decline" in the Health Department's Division of Mental Health – Alcoholism and Drug Dependency services. Jaslene Williams, division acting director, said the situation has worsened as Health and Mental Health "have been forced to … provide quality services without one key necessity." This, she said, is "consistent leadership that could advocate for their respective minimum needs."
Williams said general deficiencies within the division include:
– Unhealthy and unsafe mental health facilities.
– An increasing volume of court orders to provide residential treatment, with no funding to do so.
– Extremely limited psychological services on St. Croix.
– Loss of federal funds.
– Lack of a detoxification facility in the territory.
"Substance abuse is prevalent in our society, like all societies," Williams said, and V.I. young people are at "terrible" risk.
And gambling addiction is now "the new monster in our midst," and people are losing their cars and their homes. "We are not ready, and we have no immediate hope of addressing this issue," she said.
The Avis reported that Williams also said the Charles Harwood Complex on St. Croix and the Michelle Motel facility on St. Thomas could lose federal funding because of disrepair. The newspaper also said that Mavis Matthew, acting Health commissioner, told the panel that the long-vacant position of Mental Health director had been filled. She didn't name the person hired but spoke of him in glowing terms.
William Elliott, chair of the V.I. Mental Health Advisory Council, said the council has played a vital role over the last 15 years in improving mental health services. However, he said, a "considerable amount of money has been spent on off-island treatment." Williams said he believes "most of that funding should be redirected to the territory to build and enhance services for long-term care."
Committee members at the morning session in addition to Canton and Jones were Sens. Lorraine Berry, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg and Roosevelt David. Sens. Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Vargrave Richards were excused.
With only the chair and Berry returning for the afternoon session, the panel of two — Canton and Berry — heard testimony about the disbursement revenues from the $1 emergency services surcharge on customers' telephone bills.
Ian E. Williams Sr., acting Fire Services director, testified, as he had earlier, that his department has received and is using the funds to which it is entitled. A representative from Emergency Medical Services gave a brief breakdown of that agency's utilization of its surcharge funds.
However, Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull failed to appear for the second time that the committee had invited her. This provoked Canton to conclude the meeting with the comment that he was "surprised" the commissioner or a representative hadn't shown up. "Without her, the questioning process on this matter would be difficult," he said.
BILL TO GIVE HOSPITALS MORE SAY CLEARS PANEL
June 14, 2001 – A bill to fine tune the semi-autonomy of the territory's hospitals was approved Wednesday by the Senate Health and Hospitals Committee.
Sponsored by Sen. Douglas Canton, the committee chair, the "Healthcare Quality Improvement Act" would give the hospitals more say in hiring practices, among other things, and would let them acquire new equipment without having to go through a lengthy bidding process.
In another meeting of the committee earlier this month, health and hospital officials were sharply divided on the measure. The deputy Health commissioner, Lucien Moolenaar, had objected to allowing the hospitals more latitude for fear it would cause duplication of services. Both hospitals' top administrators disagreed. Eugene A. Woods, Roy Schneider Hospital chief executive officer, and Thomas Robinson, Juan Luis Hospital CEO, said it would "streamline" health care.
The bill also provides for the hospitals' CEO's, as well as the V.I. director of personnel, to sit on the Health Insurance Board, a measure again strongly endorsed by both hospital chiefs and challenged by Moolenaar.
The measure as approved at Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas included several amendments discussed at the previous meeting that allow the hospitals more independence. One would exempt all "critical" hospital employees from the attrition program (previously the exemption included only doctors and nurses). Another provides for improving coordination among the Health Department, the hospitals and the Myrah Keating Smith Health Center of St. John, which falls under the Schneider Hospital administration, by developing a clear understanding of the roles of each entity.
Sen. David Jones offered an amendment making all peer-review information confidential except in cases of criminal conduct.
The bill will now go to the Rules Committee.
The committee also addressed "the steady decline" in the Health Department's Division of Mental Health – Alcoholism and Drug Dependency services. Jaslene Williams, division acting director, said the situation has worsened as Health and Mental Health "have been forced to … provide quality services without one key necessity." This, she said, is "consistent leadership that could advocate for their respective minimum needs."
Williams said general deficiencies within the division include:
– Unhealthy and unsafe mental health facilities.
– An increasing volume of court orders to provide residential treatment, with no funding to do so.
– Extremely limited psychological services on St. Croix.
– Loss of federal funds.
– Lack of a detoxification facility in the territory.
"Substance abuse is prevalent in our society, like all societies," Williams said, and V.I. young people are at "terrible" risk.
And gambling addiction is now "the new monster in our midst," with people losing their cars and homes. "We are not ready, and we have no immediate hope of addressing this issue," she said.
The Avis reported that Williams also said the Charles Harwood Complex on St. Croix and the Michelle Motel facility on St. Thomas could lose federal funding because of disrepair. The newspaper also said that Mavis Matthew, acting Health commissioner, told the panel that the long-vacant position of mental health director had been filled. She didn't name the person hired but spoke of him in glowing terms.
William Elliott, chair of the V.I. Mental Health Advisory Council, said the council has played a vital role over the last 15 years in improving mental health services. However, he said, a "considerable amount of money has been spent on off-island treatment." Williams said he believes "most of that funding should be redirected to the territory to build and enhance services for long-term care."
Committee members at the morning session in addition to Canton and Jones were Sens. Lorraine Berry, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg and Roosevelt David. Sens. Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Vargrave Richards were excused.
With only Canton and Berry returning for the afternoon session, the panel of two heard testimony about the disbursement revenues from the $1 emergency services surcharge on customers' telephone bills.
Ian E. Williams Sr., acting Fire Services director, testified, as he had earlier, that his department has received and is using the funds to which it is entitled. A representative from Emergency Medical Services gave a brief breakdown of that agency's utilization of its surcharge funds.
However, Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull failed to appear for the second time that the committee had invited her. This provoked Canton to conclude the meeting with the comment that he was "surprised" the commissioner or a representative hadn't shown up. "Without her, the questioning process on this matter would be difficult," he said.
Sponsored by Sen. Douglas Canton, the committee chair, the "Healthcare Quality Improvement Act" would give the hospitals more say in hiring practices, among other things, and would let them acquire new equipment without having to go through a lengthy bidding process.
In another meeting of the committee earlier this month, health and hospital officials were sharply divided on the measure. The deputy Health commissioner, Lucien Moolenaar, had objected to allowing the hospitals more latitude for fear it would cause duplication of services. Both hospitals' top administrators disagreed. Eugene A. Woods, Roy Schneider Hospital chief executive officer, and Thomas Robinson, Juan Luis Hospital CEO, said it would "streamline" health care.
The bill also provides for the hospitals' CEO's, as well as the V.I. director of personnel, to sit on the Health Insurance Board, a measure again strongly endorsed by both hospital chiefs and challenged by Moolenaar.
The measure as approved at Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas included several amendments discussed at the previous meeting that allow the hospitals more independence. One would exempt all "critical" hospital employees from the attrition program (previously the exemption included only doctors and nurses). Another provides for improving coordination among the Health Department, the hospitals and the Myrah Keating Smith Health Center of St. John, which falls under the Schneider Hospital administration, by developing a clear understanding of the roles of each entity.
Sen. David Jones offered an amendment making all peer-review information confidential except in cases of criminal conduct.
The bill will now go to the Rules Committee.
The committee also addressed "the steady decline" in the Health Department's Division of Mental Health – Alcoholism and Drug Dependency services. Jaslene Williams, division acting director, said the situation has worsened as Health and Mental Health "have been forced to … provide quality services without one key necessity." This, she said, is "consistent leadership that could advocate for their respective minimum needs."
Williams said general deficiencies within the division include:
– Unhealthy and unsafe mental health facilities.
– An increasing volume of court orders to provide residential treatment, with no funding to do so.
– Extremely limited psychological services on St. Croix.
– Loss of federal funds.
– Lack of a detoxification facility in the territory.
"Substance abuse is prevalent in our society, like all societies," Williams said, and V.I. young people are at "terrible" risk.
And gambling addiction is now "the new monster in our midst," with people losing their cars and homes. "We are not ready, and we have no immediate hope of addressing this issue," she said.
The Avis reported that Williams also said the Charles Harwood Complex on St. Croix and the Michelle Motel facility on St. Thomas could lose federal funding because of disrepair. The newspaper also said that Mavis Matthew, acting Health commissioner, told the panel that the long-vacant position of mental health director had been filled. She didn't name the person hired but spoke of him in glowing terms.
William Elliott, chair of the V.I. Mental Health Advisory Council, said the council has played a vital role over the last 15 years in improving mental health services. However, he said, a "considerable amount of money has been spent on off-island treatment." Williams said he believes "most of that funding should be redirected to the territory to build and enhance services for long-term care."
Committee members at the morning session in addition to Canton and Jones were Sens. Lorraine Berry, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg and Roosevelt David. Sens. Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Vargrave Richards were excused.
With only Canton and Berry returning for the afternoon session, the panel of two heard testimony about the disbursement revenues from the $1 emergency services surcharge on customers' telephone bills.
Ian E. Williams Sr., acting Fire Services director, testified, as he had earlier, that his department has received and is using the funds to which it is entitled. A representative from Emergency Medical Services gave a brief breakdown of that agency's utilization of its surcharge funds.
However, Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull failed to appear for the second time that the committee had invited her. This provoked Canton to conclude the meeting with the comment that he was "surprised" the commissioner or a representative hadn't shown up. "Without her, the questioning process on this matter would be difficult," he said.
FAST FERRY BREAK ON PORT HEAD TAX APPROVED
June 14, 2001 – In a long and sometimes confusing meeting Wednesday, the V.I. Port Authority board voted to give Boston Harbor Cruises, and any and all other interisland fast-ferry services, a break on port fees. Another company, Crucian Express, announced plans to begin operations in the fall.
Boston Harbor Cruises operates the $10 million, 600-passenger catamaran Salacia, which transported passengers between St. Thomas and St. Croix during a test run in April. In 23 days, company officials said, it carried 23,000 passengers at a preview round-trip fare of $40.
Kevin Matthews, BHC director of operations, met with Gordon Finch, Port Authority executive director, prior to Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas, seeking to get the head tax phased in over five years so the company could provide a lower passenger fare.
In a letter to Finch, Matthews outlined seven incentives wanted from the authority so the ferry could return to service later this year.
However, Finch said Wednesday that it all "boils down to a simple matter of fees." The board voted to:
– Charge no head tax for the first year, effective immediately; $1.50 the second year and $3 the third year. The tax was $5.70 when the boat was in operation in April.
– Waive dockage fees for the first two years on St. Croix only.
– Waive all fees if the company would base its operations in Fredriksted.
While board interest in giving St. Croix an economic boost was clear, Matthews looked bewildered when the motion was made about basing operations in Fredriksted. Pamela Richards, who as Tourism commissioner by law chairs the board, made the motion.
Traveling embarking and disembarking at Fredriksted, on the island's West End, would add unnecessary time on the water — and also on land for those traveling to the island's main commercial area of Christiansted. Someone commented that it would be like moving the Cyril E. King Airport to Crown Mountain.
Before the final vote on the fee schedule, a motion to reduce the head tax to $3 was approved. At one point, amid a bevy of motions, Attorney General Iver Stridiron, a board member who abstained from voting, said, "I would like to know what we just voted on."
Port Authority attorney Don Mills summarized what had just transpired. Stridiron said the motions, introduced and voted on within about an hour, were not well thought out and needed further discussion. Other board members and staff personnel expressed confusion about what exactly was being voted on.
Stridiron also expressed concern about local airlines such as Seaborne, Cape Air and American Eagle, saying they have a vested interest in the territory. Matthews declined to speculate on how the fast ferry might impact local air-shuttle traffic. However, he said BHC has run competitively with Cape Air in the Boston area, with Cape Air's load factor actually increasing.
Seaborne Airlines officials have written Finch expressing concern that the operation could go out of business trying to compete with BHC. Maurice Kurg, Seaborne president, said the company might be interested in starting a high-speed ferry of its own.
Representatives of another fast-ferry company, St. Croix-based Crucian Express, also appeared at the board meeting, announcing plans to purchase a Norwegian vessel capable of a speed of 40 knots (the same as the Salacia), with seating for 271.
Plans call for this ferry to run year 'round, according to Jolene Wilson-Glah, the company's legal counsel. She said Crucian Express plans a September start-up with three round-trips a day. Start-up costs are estimated at $2 million, she said, to be raised through the sale of common stock shares.
After the board vote Wednesday, Matthews said he was marginally pleased at the outcome. Standing outside the meeting room, he said he was happier than he had been 45 minutes earlier, when the head tax was scheduled to start at $3 with no start-up incentive.
Matthews told the board he couldn't estimate how much the company will charge passengers, but he finally threw out the figure of $50, stating he could not be held to it. After the meeting, he said he would "have to give the figures to my numbers people." In his meeting with Finch and the letter to him, Matthews stressed that the company wants to make a decision before the end of June, in order to get marketing in place if it proceeds with plans to operate in the territory. Service would be from about December through May, he said.
Matthews came to St. Thomas from a series of talks in Florida about starting a winter operation there — which he told reporters is still an option.
Boston Harbor Cruises operates the $10 million, 600-passenger catamaran Salacia, which transported passengers between St. Thomas and St. Croix during a test run in April. In 23 days, company officials said, it carried 23,000 passengers at a preview round-trip fare of $40.
Kevin Matthews, BHC director of operations, met with Gordon Finch, Port Authority executive director, prior to Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas, seeking to get the head tax phased in over five years so the company could provide a lower passenger fare.
In a letter to Finch, Matthews outlined seven incentives wanted from the authority so the ferry could return to service later this year.
However, Finch said Wednesday that it all "boils down to a simple matter of fees." The board voted to:
– Charge no head tax for the first year, effective immediately; $1.50 the second year and $3 the third year. The tax was $5.70 when the boat was in operation in April.
– Waive dockage fees for the first two years on St. Croix only.
– Waive all fees if the company would base its operations in Fredriksted.
While board interest in giving St. Croix an economic boost was clear, Matthews looked bewildered when the motion was made about basing operations in Fredriksted. Pamela Richards, who as Tourism commissioner by law chairs the board, made the motion.
Traveling embarking and disembarking at Fredriksted, on the island's West End, would add unnecessary time on the water — and also on land for those traveling to the island's main commercial area of Christiansted. Someone commented that it would be like moving the Cyril E. King Airport to Crown Mountain.
Before the final vote on the fee schedule, a motion to reduce the head tax to $3 was approved. At one point, amid a bevy of motions, Attorney General Iver Stridiron, a board member who abstained from voting, said, "I would like to know what we just voted on."
Port Authority attorney Don Mills summarized what had just transpired. Stridiron said the motions, introduced and voted on within about an hour, were not well thought out and needed further discussion. Other board members and staff personnel expressed confusion about what exactly was being voted on.
Stridiron also expressed concern about local airlines such as Seaborne, Cape Air and American Eagle, saying they have a vested interest in the territory. Matthews declined to speculate on how the fast ferry might impact local air-shuttle traffic. However, he said BHC has run competitively with Cape Air in the Boston area, with Cape Air's load factor actually increasing.
Seaborne Airlines officials have written Finch expressing concern that the operation could go out of business trying to compete with BHC. Maurice Kurg, Seaborne president, said the company might be interested in starting a high-speed ferry of its own.
Representatives of another fast-ferry company, St. Croix-based Crucian Express, also appeared at the board meeting, announcing plans to purchase a Norwegian vessel capable of a speed of 40 knots (the same as the Salacia), with seating for 271.
Plans call for this ferry to run year 'round, according to Jolene Wilson-Glah, the company's legal counsel. She said Crucian Express plans a September start-up with three round-trips a day. Start-up costs are estimated at $2 million, she said, to be raised through the sale of common stock shares.
After the board vote Wednesday, Matthews said he was marginally pleased at the outcome. Standing outside the meeting room, he said he was happier than he had been 45 minutes earlier, when the head tax was scheduled to start at $3 with no start-up incentive.
Matthews told the board he couldn't estimate how much the company will charge passengers, but he finally threw out the figure of $50, stating he could not be held to it. After the meeting, he said he would "have to give the figures to my numbers people." In his meeting with Finch and the letter to him, Matthews stressed that the company wants to make a decision before the end of June, in order to get marketing in place if it proceeds with plans to operate in the territory. Service would be from about December through May, he said.
Matthews came to St. Thomas from a series of talks in Florida about starting a winter operation there — which he told reporters is still an option.
FAST FERRY BREAK ON PORT HEAD TAX APPROVED
June 14, 2001 – In a long and sometimes confusing meeting Wednesday, the V.I. Port Authority board voted to give Boston Harbor Cruises, and any and all other interisland fast-ferry services, a break on port fees. Another company, Crucian Express, announced plans to begin operations in the fall.
Boston Harbor Cruises operates the $10 million, 600-passenger catamaran Salacia, which transported passengers between St. Thomas and St. Croix during a test run in April. In 23 days, company officials said, it carried 23,000 passengers at a preview round-trip fare of $40.
Kevin Matthews, BHC director of operations, met with Gordon Finch, Port Authority executive director, prior to Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas, seeking to get the head tax phased in over five years so the company could provide a lower passenger fare.
In a letter to Finch, Matthews outlined seven incentives wanted from the authority so the ferry could return to service later this year.
However, Finch said Wednesday that it all "boils down to a simple matter of fees." The board voted to:
– Charge no head tax for the first year, effective immediately; $1.50 the second year and $3 the third year. The tax was $5.70 when the boat was in operation in April.
– Waive dockage fees for the first two years on St. Croix only.
– Waive all fees if the company would base its operations in Fredriksted.
While board interest in giving St. Croix an economic boost was clear, Matthews looked bewildered when the motion was made about basing operations in Fredriksted. Pamela Richards, who as Tourism commissioner by law chairs the board, made the motion.
Traveling embarking and disembarking at Fredriksted, on the island's West End, would add unnecessary time on the water — and also on land for those traveling to the island's main commercial area of Christiansted. Someone commented that it would be like moving the Cyril E. King Airport to Crown Mountain.
Before the final vote on the fee schedule, a motion to reduce the head tax to $3 was approved. At one point, amid a bevy of motions, Attorney General Iver Stridiron, a board member who abstained from voting, said, "I would like to know what we just voted on."
Port Authority attorney Don Mills summarized what had just transpired. Stridiron said the motions, introduced and voted on within about an hour, were not well thought out and needed further discussion. Other board members and staff personnel expressed confusion about what exactly was being voted on.
Stridiron also expressed concern about local airlines such as Seaborne, Cape Air and American Eagle, saying they have a vested interest in the territory. Matthews declined to speculate on how the fast ferry might impact local air-shuttle traffic. However, he said BHC has run competitively with Cape Air in the Boston area, with Cape Air's load factor actually increasing.
Seaborne Airlines officials have written Finch expressing concern that the operation could go out of business trying to compete with BHC. Maurice Kurg, Seaborne president, said the company might be interested in starting a high-speed ferry of its own.
Representatives of another fast-ferry company, St. Croix-based Crucian Express, also appeared at the board meeting, announcing plans to purchase a Norwegian vessel capable of a speed of 40 knots (the same as the Salacia), with seating for 271.
Plans call for this ferry to run year 'round, according to Jolene Wilson-Glah, the company's legal counsel. She said Crucian Express plans a September start-up with three round-trips a day. Start-up costs are estimated at $2 million, she said, to be raised through the sale of common stock shares.
After the board vote Wednesday, Matthews said he was marginally pleased at the outcome. Standing outside the meeting room, he said he was happier than he had been 45 minutes earlier, when the head tax was scheduled to start at $3 with no start-up incentive.
Matthews told the board he couldn't estimate how much the company will charge passengers, but he finally threw out the figure of $50, stating he could not be held to it. After the meeting, he said he would "have to give the figures to my numbers people." In his meeting with Finch and the letter to him, Matthews stressed that the company wants to make a decision before the end of June, in order to get marketing in place if it proceeds with plans to operate in the territory. Service would be from about December through May, he said.
Matthews came to St. Thomas from a series of talks in Florida about starting a winter operation there — which he told reporters is still an option.
Boston Harbor Cruises operates the $10 million, 600-passenger catamaran Salacia, which transported passengers between St. Thomas and St. Croix during a test run in April. In 23 days, company officials said, it carried 23,000 passengers at a preview round-trip fare of $40.
Kevin Matthews, BHC director of operations, met with Gordon Finch, Port Authority executive director, prior to Wednesday's meeting on St. Thomas, seeking to get the head tax phased in over five years so the company could provide a lower passenger fare.
In a letter to Finch, Matthews outlined seven incentives wanted from the authority so the ferry could return to service later this year.
However, Finch said Wednesday that it all "boils down to a simple matter of fees." The board voted to:
– Charge no head tax for the first year, effective immediately; $1.50 the second year and $3 the third year. The tax was $5.70 when the boat was in operation in April.
– Waive dockage fees for the first two years on St. Croix only.
– Waive all fees if the company would base its operations in Fredriksted.
While board interest in giving St. Croix an economic boost was clear, Matthews looked bewildered when the motion was made about basing operations in Fredriksted. Pamela Richards, who as Tourism commissioner by law chairs the board, made the motion.
Traveling embarking and disembarking at Fredriksted, on the island's West End, would add unnecessary time on the water — and also on land for those traveling to the island's main commercial area of Christiansted. Someone commented that it would be like moving the Cyril E. King Airport to Crown Mountain.
Before the final vote on the fee schedule, a motion to reduce the head tax to $3 was approved. At one point, amid a bevy of motions, Attorney General Iver Stridiron, a board member who abstained from voting, said, "I would like to know what we just voted on."
Port Authority attorney Don Mills summarized what had just transpired. Stridiron said the motions, introduced and voted on within about an hour, were not well thought out and needed further discussion. Other board members and staff personnel expressed confusion about what exactly was being voted on.
Stridiron also expressed concern about local airlines such as Seaborne, Cape Air and American Eagle, saying they have a vested interest in the territory. Matthews declined to speculate on how the fast ferry might impact local air-shuttle traffic. However, he said BHC has run competitively with Cape Air in the Boston area, with Cape Air's load factor actually increasing.
Seaborne Airlines officials have written Finch expressing concern that the operation could go out of business trying to compete with BHC. Maurice Kurg, Seaborne president, said the company might be interested in starting a high-speed ferry of its own.
Representatives of another fast-ferry company, St. Croix-based Crucian Express, also appeared at the board meeting, announcing plans to purchase a Norwegian vessel capable of a speed of 40 knots (the same as the Salacia), with seating for 271.
Plans call for this ferry to run year 'round, according to Jolene Wilson-Glah, the company's legal counsel. She said Crucian Express plans a September start-up with three round-trips a day. Start-up costs are estimated at $2 million, she said, to be raised through the sale of common stock shares.
After the board vote Wednesday, Matthews said he was marginally pleased at the outcome. Standing outside the meeting room, he said he was happier than he had been 45 minutes earlier, when the head tax was scheduled to start at $3 with no start-up incentive.
Matthews told the board he couldn't estimate how much the company will charge passengers, but he finally threw out the figure of $50, stating he could not be held to it. After the meeting, he said he would "have to give the figures to my numbers people." In his meeting with Finch and the letter to him, Matthews stressed that the company wants to make a decision before the end of June, in order to get marketing in place if it proceeds with plans to operate in the territory. Service would be from about December through May, he said.
Matthews came to St. Thomas from a series of talks in Florida about starting a winter operation there — which he told reporters is still an option.
CHILD CARE PLAN TO AIR
June 14, 2001 – Public hearings will be held on St. Croix and St. Thomas next week to air the proposed State Plan for governing child care services in the Virgin Islands.
The Child Care Development Fund Program, which is administered by the Department of Human Services, provides child-care subsidies to low-income working families.
The St. Thomas hearing will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the pre-school conference room at the Knud Hansen Complex.
The St. Croix hearing will be at 11 a.m. June 22 at the jury assembly room of the District Court in Christiansted.
Copies of the plan may be reviewed at Human Services at the Knud Hansen Complex on St. Thomas and at the department's Golden Rock office on St. Croix.
For more information, call 774-0930, ext. 4181 or 773-2323, ext.2022.
The Child Care Development Fund Program, which is administered by the Department of Human Services, provides child-care subsidies to low-income working families.
The St. Thomas hearing will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the pre-school conference room at the Knud Hansen Complex.
The St. Croix hearing will be at 11 a.m. June 22 at the jury assembly room of the District Court in Christiansted.
Copies of the plan may be reviewed at Human Services at the Knud Hansen Complex on St. Thomas and at the department's Golden Rock office on St. Croix.
For more information, call 774-0930, ext. 4181 or 773-2323, ext.2022.
CHILD CARE PROPOSAL TO AIR
June 14, 2001 – Public hearings will be held on St. Croix and St. Thomas next week to air the proposed State Plan for governing child care services in the Virgin Islands.
The Child Care Development Fund Program, which is administered by the Department of Human Services, provides child-care subsidies to low-income working families.
The St. Thomas hearing will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the pre-school conference room at the Knud Hansen Complex.
The St. Croix hearing will be at 11 a.m. June 22 at the jury assembly room of the District Court in Christiansted.
Copies of the plan may be reviewed at Human Services at the Knud Hansen Complex on St. Thomas and at the department's Golden Rock office on St. Croix. For more information, call 774-0930 or 773-2323, ext. 2022.
The Child Care Development Fund Program, which is administered by the Department of Human Services, provides child-care subsidies to low-income working families.
The St. Thomas hearing will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the pre-school conference room at the Knud Hansen Complex.
The St. Croix hearing will be at 11 a.m. June 22 at the jury assembly room of the District Court in Christiansted.
Copies of the plan may be reviewed at Human Services at the Knud Hansen Complex on St. Thomas and at the department's Golden Rock office on St. Croix. For more information, call 774-0930 or 773-2323, ext. 2022.
PROTECTION RANGERS PLAY CRUCIAL PARK ROLES
June 14, 2001 – As guardians of natural, cultural and historical resources and of the visitors and residents who seek to enjoy them, the protection rangers of the Virgin Islands National Park provide invaluable services. To them falls the sometimes unpopular task of enforcing rules and regulations. But their skills and responsibilities extend far beyond writing tickets and asking beachgoers to respect the territory's nudity laws.
Protection rangers are goodwill ambassadors for the park and often perform interpretive services. They educate visitors about park resources, rules and regulations and readily cite their reasons for warning or reprimanding visitors about their actions. To promote safety, they may attend to an injured donkey in the middle of the trail, a loose railing at the Annaberg ruins or boat debris at a popular beach.
They determine the need for directional and regulatory signage throughout the park — and see to its installation. They also are in charge of the park's lost-and-found office. And after a hurricane, they are among the first people out clearing roads islandwide.
As law-enforcement officers, they are in a league with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Naturalization Service officers and U.S. marshals. All spend 16 weeks at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga., in order to become commissioned, which allows them to carry firearms (one way to tell protection rangers from interpretive rangers) and make arrests.
The course includes fields training in physical endurance, firearms use, high-speed vehicle maneuvering and officer survival skills. In the classroom, the candidates study criminal law, search and seizure, human behavior and investigative techniques. Once assigned to a national park, the rangers get supplemental training in search and rescue, medical and emergency services, and specific resource protection. They must meet physical fitness standards twice a year.
At work on land and water
Since half of the V.I. National Park contains marine ecosystems, its protection rangers must be adept at boating skills. Enforcing regulations is the most common activity while on "boat patrol." Rangers routinely check for anchoring on corals and seagrasses, on-board marine sanitation compliance, other water polluting, boat in off-limits areas, illegal fishing practices and boating safety regulation compliance.
They also conduct vessel inspections, dealing with drug interdiction and illegal aliens coming ashore on park property. Any mariner with engine problems or other difficulties at sea can hail protection rangers on VHF Channel 16, which they constantly monitor. The U.S. Coast Guard San Juan office relies heavily on rangers for this response, since there is no Coast Guard station close to St. John waters.
On land, protection rangers deal with marijuana cultivation and people camping or squatting on parkland. If a hiker is reported overdue from an outing, perhaps clinging for dear life on the cliffs of Ram Head or needing to be carried out of the Reef Bay Valley on a stretcher, protection rangers respond. Car and boat accidents, thefts of personal property and park resources, assaults, disturbance of the peace and crowd control are all part of their job. They often work closely with other local and federal law-enforcement agencies.
There are periods of relative calm and occasions of exceptional excitement. "It's quiet most of the time," Troy Williams, a protection ranger since 1996, relates, "but every once in a while you get something like catching a national fugitive." He was referring to the apprehending in December 1999 of the suspect in the robberies of three V.I. banks — who was also wanted in Maryland and Virginia for bank robbing and car-jacking. An investigation of thefts at the Cinnamon Bay Campground by Ranger Bill Stoner, assisted by Williams, led to the arrest.
Occasional celebrity encounters
Ranger Steve Clark has only been on St. John for about a year but already had made the not-unusual contact with celebrity. On a recent patrol, he gave a verbal "regulations violation" warning to a crew member aboard a large yacht moored in Maho Bay. Word of the encounter must have reached actor and martial arts expert Chuck Norris, who was on board. Later that day, in Cruz Bay, Norris came over to Clark, introduced himself and apologized for the violation.
Oscar James, a retired ranger and a St. Johnian who started working as a lifeguard in 1966, met then-New York governor Nelson Rockefeller at Trunk Bay. Unbeknownst to James, the governor had left his watch on the back of the lifeguard stand while he went for a swim. Long after Rockefeller and his party, which included conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein, left the beach, an aide approached James and asked if he had seen the watch. "No," the lifeguard replied. "Probably he forgot it someplace else."
James recalls that the aide responded, "The governor may have left it, but he never forgets." The watch was soon found where Rockefeller had put it.
Protection rangers also get involved in community-outreach initiatives. Ranger Steve Clark conducted a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) course at Pine Peace School in May. Williams, an active member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, was involved in Safe Boating Week activities.
Elmo Rabsatt, a ranger for nearly two decades, has been involved in St. John Rescue Service and the national Red Ribbon Week anti-drug program. He has received commendations from the U.S. Attorney's Office for his outreach to troubled teens. Every year at the V.I. Environmental Research Station in Lameshur Bay, Rabsatt coordinates a series of in-depth workshops for youngsters and their parents that include presentations by social workers, judges, police officers and others in a holistic effort to combat juvenile delinquency.
On one plane, a national park is only as good as its enforcement and safety capabilities. Protection rangers form the shield that holds a park intact and allows its other personnel to do their jobs to fulfill the park's mission. With their training and experience, the protection rangers of the V.I. National Park are effective in protecting visitors and resources, despite the challenges of ever-increasing park usage and budgetary and staffing constraints — the realities of most national parks today.
Protection rangers are goodwill ambassadors for the park and often perform interpretive services. They educate visitors about park resources, rules and regulations and readily cite their reasons for warning or reprimanding visitors about their actions. To promote safety, they may attend to an injured donkey in the middle of the trail, a loose railing at the Annaberg ruins or boat debris at a popular beach.
They determine the need for directional and regulatory signage throughout the park — and see to its installation. They also are in charge of the park's lost-and-found office. And after a hurricane, they are among the first people out clearing roads islandwide.
As law-enforcement officers, they are in a league with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Naturalization Service officers and U.S. marshals. All spend 16 weeks at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga., in order to become commissioned, which allows them to carry firearms (one way to tell protection rangers from interpretive rangers) and make arrests.
The course includes fields training in physical endurance, firearms use, high-speed vehicle maneuvering and officer survival skills. In the classroom, the candidates study criminal law, search and seizure, human behavior and investigative techniques. Once assigned to a national park, the rangers get supplemental training in search and rescue, medical and emergency services, and specific resource protection. They must meet physical fitness standards twice a year.
At work on land and water
Since half of the V.I. National Park contains marine ecosystems, its protection rangers must be adept at boating skills. Enforcing regulations is the most common activity while on "boat patrol." Rangers routinely check for anchoring on corals and seagrasses, on-board marine sanitation compliance, other water polluting, boat in off-limits areas, illegal fishing practices and boating safety regulation compliance.
They also conduct vessel inspections, dealing with drug interdiction and illegal aliens coming ashore on park property. Any mariner with engine problems or other difficulties at sea can hail protection rangers on VHF Channel 16, which they constantly monitor. The U.S. Coast Guard San Juan office relies heavily on rangers for this response, since there is no Coast Guard station close to St. John waters.
On land, protection rangers deal with marijuana cultivation and people camping or squatting on parkland. If a hiker is reported overdue from an outing, perhaps clinging for dear life on the cliffs of Ram Head or needing to be carried out of the Reef Bay Valley on a stretcher, protection rangers respond. Car and boat accidents, thefts of personal property and park resources, assaults, disturbance of the peace and crowd control are all part of their job. They often work closely with other local and federal law-enforcement agencies.
There are periods of relative calm and occasions of exceptional excitement. "It's quiet most of the time," Troy Williams, a protection ranger since 1996, relates, "but every once in a while you get something like catching a national fugitive." He was referring to the apprehending in December 1999 of the suspect in the robberies of three V.I. banks — who was also wanted in Maryland and Virginia for bank robbing and car-jacking. An investigation of thefts at the Cinnamon Bay Campground by Ranger Bill Stoner, assisted by Williams, led to the arrest.
Occasional celebrity encounters
Ranger Steve Clark has only been on St. John for about a year but already had made the not-unusual contact with celebrity. On a recent patrol, he gave a verbal "regulations violation" warning to a crew member aboard a large yacht moored in Maho Bay. Word of the encounter must have reached actor and martial arts expert Chuck Norris, who was on board. Later that day, in Cruz Bay, Norris came over to Clark, introduced himself and apologized for the violation.
Oscar James, a retired ranger and a St. Johnian who started working as a lifeguard in 1966, met then-New York governor Nelson Rockefeller at Trunk Bay. Unbeknownst to James, the governor had left his watch on the back of the lifeguard stand while he went for a swim. Long after Rockefeller and his party, which included conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein, left the beach, an aide approached James and asked if he had seen the watch. "No," the lifeguard replied. "Probably he forgot it someplace else."
James recalls that the aide responded, "The governor may have left it, but he never forgets." The watch was soon found where Rockefeller had put it.
Protection rangers also get involved in community-outreach initiatives. Ranger Steve Clark conducted a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) course at Pine Peace School in May. Williams, an active member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, was involved in Safe Boating Week activities.
Elmo Rabsatt, a ranger for nearly two decades, has been involved in St. John Rescue Service and the national Red Ribbon Week anti-drug program. He has received commendations from the U.S. Attorney's Office for his outreach to troubled teens. Every year at the V.I. Environmental Research Station in Lameshur Bay, Rabsatt coordinates a series of in-depth workshops for youngsters and their parents that include presentations by social workers, judges, police officers and others in a holistic effort to combat juvenile delinquency.
On one plane, a national park is only as good as its enforcement and safety capabilities. Protection rangers form the shield that holds a park intact and allows its other personnel to do their jobs to fulfill the park's mission. With their training and experience, the protection rangers of the V.I. National Park are effective in protecting visitors and resources, despite the challenges of ever-increasing park usage and budgetary and staffing constraints — the realities of most national parks today.
Editor's note: Don Near is an interpretive ranger in the V.I. National Park. This article is adapted from one which appeared in the June issue of the St John Times newspaper.
LETTER SAYS FUGITIVE INNOCENT, WON'T RETURN
June 13, 2001 – A letter ostensibly from contractor Lucinda Oliver, a fugitive wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on bribery and other charges, has been received by The Avis newspaper, proclaiming her innocence but saying she will not return to the Virgin Islands to face her accusers.
The six-page letter was mailed from a city of about 300,000 people called Harleen in the southeast corner of The Netherlands. The sender was self-identified as "Cindy Oliver (Most Wanted List)" and gave no return address.
Oliver, a former contractor with Island Villas, was contracted to repair buildings at Castle Burke and Estate Adventure on St. Croix after the housing units were destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn in 1995. According to a federal indictment made public in February, Oliver did not complete the repairs but bribed a Housing, Parks and Recreation Department employee who wrote invoices for her expenses and allegedly completed work in exchange for cash payments and a 1994 Toyota Corolla.
Oliver fled the territory in 1999 and was rumored to be living in St. Martin. She has been featured on the "Virgin Islands Most Wanted" televison program.
The letter says Oliver did not defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as charged, but did pay bribe money to housing officials.
"There is bribery and there is bribery. In my case, I did have to pay bribe money, not to get a contract, but to get paid for work already done," the letter states.
Oliver was indicted on charges of bribery, unlawful possession of two unlicenced handguns and giving false statements to authorities. She will not return to the Virgin Islands to face the charges because she would not receive a fair trial, according to the letter.
"I do not believe that I can get a fair trial on St. Croix. Besides, who would testify for me? The residents of [Estate] Adventure mostly work for the government, and the ones who would support me would be in trouble with the government. Castle Burke had many good people, but it had more bad ones working the system than good, honest ones," the letter states.
The Source was unable to verify that the letter was written by Oliver.
Alphonse Nibbs, former executive director of the V.I. Housing Authority, has said Oliver threatened his life. The letter also denies this. Nibbs has made several accusations publicly of corruption within V.I. housing agencies.
He told the Senate Housing, Parks and Recreation Committee on Monday that he has turned over "boxes" of documents to the FBI and FEMA that may implicate high-level housing officials in corruption schemes. However, he refused to detail his accusations at the hearing, citing a pending federal investigation into the matter.
The six-page letter was mailed from a city of about 300,000 people called Harleen in the southeast corner of The Netherlands. The sender was self-identified as "Cindy Oliver (Most Wanted List)" and gave no return address.
Oliver, a former contractor with Island Villas, was contracted to repair buildings at Castle Burke and Estate Adventure on St. Croix after the housing units were destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn in 1995. According to a federal indictment made public in February, Oliver did not complete the repairs but bribed a Housing, Parks and Recreation Department employee who wrote invoices for her expenses and allegedly completed work in exchange for cash payments and a 1994 Toyota Corolla.
Oliver fled the territory in 1999 and was rumored to be living in St. Martin. She has been featured on the "Virgin Islands Most Wanted" televison program.
The letter says Oliver did not defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as charged, but did pay bribe money to housing officials.
"There is bribery and there is bribery. In my case, I did have to pay bribe money, not to get a contract, but to get paid for work already done," the letter states.
Oliver was indicted on charges of bribery, unlawful possession of two unlicenced handguns and giving false statements to authorities. She will not return to the Virgin Islands to face the charges because she would not receive a fair trial, according to the letter.
"I do not believe that I can get a fair trial on St. Croix. Besides, who would testify for me? The residents of [Estate] Adventure mostly work for the government, and the ones who would support me would be in trouble with the government. Castle Burke had many good people, but it had more bad ones working the system than good, honest ones," the letter states.
The Source was unable to verify that the letter was written by Oliver.
Alphonse Nibbs, former executive director of the V.I. Housing Authority, has said Oliver threatened his life. The letter also denies this. Nibbs has made several accusations publicly of corruption within V.I. housing agencies.
He told the Senate Housing, Parks and Recreation Committee on Monday that he has turned over "boxes" of documents to the FBI and FEMA that may implicate high-level housing officials in corruption schemes. However, he refused to detail his accusations at the hearing, citing a pending federal investigation into the matter.
TOURISM SPENDING TOO MUCH ON WEBSITE
Dear Source,
I see things do not change. Once again, the government is wasting absurd amounts of money it does not have on something that is yet to even be functional.
I am speaking of the $700,000 spent on IBM to develop the Department of Tourism website, which is not yet working because the commissioner of the Department, Pamela Richards, claims they are waiting for money to pay the $50,000 a year IBM will get to host the site.
First of all, the sum is absolutely outrageous. I do not care how elaborate the site, even corporate giants rarely spend that kind of money to design a site. Secondly, $50,000 a year to host a site is almost unheard of. Thirdly, for far less, they could have hired a full-time web designer to devote all of his or her time solely to this project.
Fourth, this money could have stayed on the island. I do not care what Richards says, there are some excellent sites already devoted to the islands that have been designed by locals.
We shall see, when the site actually works, if it has been worth the expense. For $700K, it seems outrageous that we can't even have it up, if the first year’s hosting fee has been waived. If they did not have the money why did tourism commit to spending it? Oh yeah, that is the way of the V.I. Government..spend now, worry later.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
A FORMER NATIVE
Leititia Brown
I see things do not change. Once again, the government is wasting absurd amounts of money it does not have on something that is yet to even be functional.
I am speaking of the $700,000 spent on IBM to develop the Department of Tourism website, which is not yet working because the commissioner of the Department, Pamela Richards, claims they are waiting for money to pay the $50,000 a year IBM will get to host the site.
First of all, the sum is absolutely outrageous. I do not care how elaborate the site, even corporate giants rarely spend that kind of money to design a site. Secondly, $50,000 a year to host a site is almost unheard of. Thirdly, for far less, they could have hired a full-time web designer to devote all of his or her time solely to this project.
Fourth, this money could have stayed on the island. I do not care what Richards says, there are some excellent sites already devoted to the islands that have been designed by locals.
We shall see, when the site actually works, if it has been worth the expense. For $700K, it seems outrageous that we can't even have it up, if the first year’s hosting fee has been waived. If they did not have the money why did tourism commit to spending it? Oh yeah, that is the way of the V.I. Government..spend now, worry later.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
A FORMER NATIVE
Leititia Brown
