The annual Art in the Garden will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 25 and 26 at St. George Village Botanical Garden.
Art in the Garden is a juried art show featuring original works by twenty local artists.
Admission is free.
For more information call 692-2874.
SCHOOLS CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
Despite weeks of school already missed by Virgin Islands children, schools will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The announcement was made Monday in a two-sentence statement from the Education Department which said, "No changes have been made to the school calendar to date."
Public school students missed over three weeks of school due to a teachers' strike that was ended by court order the second week of November. Many children started school late as construction on several schools was not completed in time for school to start.
The release did not indicate when Education will begin to develop a plan for making up the lost school days.
The announcement was made Monday in a two-sentence statement from the Education Department which said, "No changes have been made to the school calendar to date."
Public school students missed over three weeks of school due to a teachers' strike that was ended by court order the second week of November. Many children started school late as construction on several schools was not completed in time for school to start.
The release did not indicate when Education will begin to develop a plan for making up the lost school days.
SCHOOLS CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
Despite weeks of school already missed by Virgin Islands children, schools will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The announcement was made Monday in a two-sentence statement from the Education Department which said, "No changes have been made to the school calendar to date."
Public school students missed over three weeks of school due to a teachers' strike that was ended by court order the second week of November. Many children started school late as construction on several schools was not completed in time for school to start.
The release did not indicate when Education will begin to develop a plan for making up the lost school days.
The announcement was made Monday in a two-sentence statement from the Education Department which said, "No changes have been made to the school calendar to date."
Public school students missed over three weeks of school due to a teachers' strike that was ended by court order the second week of November. Many children started school late as construction on several schools was not completed in time for school to start.
The release did not indicate when Education will begin to develop a plan for making up the lost school days.
STX CHAMBER RENEWS CALL FOR TOURISM AUTHORITY
More than 12 months after the territory’s business and tourism community introduced legislation for a private-public tourism authority, the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce on Monday urged that the proposal doesn’t get watered down.
In a special board meeting Monday, the St. Croix Chamber again called for the establishment of the proposed V.I. Tourism Authority, a board made up of individuals from both the private and public sectors.
Last November, members of the St. Croix and St. Thomas-St. John Chambers of Commerce, the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association, the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel Association and the St. Croix Accommodations Council finalized draft legislation that sought to reform tourism in the territory. The authority would develop long-range plans, coordinate and implement policy and marketing plans every three years and conduct market research, said Carmelo Rivera, interim president of the St. Croix Chamber.
The legislation, however, has languished, primarily because of opposition from within the government to relinquish control of overall tourism management.
Former Tourism Commissioner Rafael Jackson, who resigned in October after less than a year on the job, opposed the proposal. Meanwhile, Gov. Charles Turnbull has yet to name Jackson’s successor. Jackson was the third Tourism commissioner of Turnbull’s two-year-old administration.
Rivera, whose name has surfaced for the Tourism post, said the commissioner’s position needs to be depoliticized. The authority proposal would create an executive director position that would carry out policy set by board members.
"Tourism is too important for it to linger from election to election," he said of the Cabinet post that changes with each new administration.
In addition to the political nature of the Tourism post, the other reason for the Tourism Authority proposal is to separate the 8 percent hotel occupancy tax, which generates some $11 million a year, from the government general fund. Revenue from the tax is, by law, supposed to go toward marketing the territory's tourism product. But for several years the money has been used to meet the government's financial obligations.
Just last week, Edward Thomas, president and CEO of the West Indian Co. Ltd., tweaked the make up of the proposed authority so that the private sector element would act as an advisory panel. He said the main agencies of the authority should include the Public Finance Authority, V.I. Port Authority and the Tourism Department. The directors would be the chairman of the PFA, WICO, VIPA and the commissioner of Tourism.
Thomas said the mission of the authority would include:
– Determining how much of WICO's annual dividend to the PFA should be used for tourism promotion.
– Determining what tourism infrastructure projects the Port Authority will construct.
– Determining how hotel occupancy funds are spent.
Rivera, however, maintained that the authority be weighted toward the business community because "much of what happens in the world of tourism happens in the private sector.
"Other states and jurisdictions usually are a collaboration of the public and private sectors," he said. "We should do the same to make tourism much more productive for us."
Several well-known tourist destinations like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Las Vegas have either private or public-private tourism organizations.
In a special board meeting Monday, the St. Croix Chamber again called for the establishment of the proposed V.I. Tourism Authority, a board made up of individuals from both the private and public sectors.
Last November, members of the St. Croix and St. Thomas-St. John Chambers of Commerce, the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association, the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel Association and the St. Croix Accommodations Council finalized draft legislation that sought to reform tourism in the territory. The authority would develop long-range plans, coordinate and implement policy and marketing plans every three years and conduct market research, said Carmelo Rivera, interim president of the St. Croix Chamber.
The legislation, however, has languished, primarily because of opposition from within the government to relinquish control of overall tourism management.
Former Tourism Commissioner Rafael Jackson, who resigned in October after less than a year on the job, opposed the proposal. Meanwhile, Gov. Charles Turnbull has yet to name Jackson’s successor. Jackson was the third Tourism commissioner of Turnbull’s two-year-old administration.
Rivera, whose name has surfaced for the Tourism post, said the commissioner’s position needs to be depoliticized. The authority proposal would create an executive director position that would carry out policy set by board members.
"Tourism is too important for it to linger from election to election," he said of the Cabinet post that changes with each new administration.
In addition to the political nature of the Tourism post, the other reason for the Tourism Authority proposal is to separate the 8 percent hotel occupancy tax, which generates some $11 million a year, from the government general fund. Revenue from the tax is, by law, supposed to go toward marketing the territory's tourism product. But for several years the money has been used to meet the government's financial obligations.
Just last week, Edward Thomas, president and CEO of the West Indian Co. Ltd., tweaked the make up of the proposed authority so that the private sector element would act as an advisory panel. He said the main agencies of the authority should include the Public Finance Authority, V.I. Port Authority and the Tourism Department. The directors would be the chairman of the PFA, WICO, VIPA and the commissioner of Tourism.
Thomas said the mission of the authority would include:
– Determining how much of WICO's annual dividend to the PFA should be used for tourism promotion.
– Determining what tourism infrastructure projects the Port Authority will construct.
– Determining how hotel occupancy funds are spent.
Rivera, however, maintained that the authority be weighted toward the business community because "much of what happens in the world of tourism happens in the private sector.
"Other states and jurisdictions usually are a collaboration of the public and private sectors," he said. "We should do the same to make tourism much more productive for us."
Several well-known tourist destinations like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Las Vegas have either private or public-private tourism organizations.
OH, FOR THE CALM OF A VIRGIN ISLANDS ELECTION!
Dear Source:
I decided to take a three-week vacation to the area where I grew up … catch up with old chums, see the sites, take a break from the hectic pace on St. Thomas. Maybe watch some television, take long walks on endless beaches and, in general, relax after all the mayhem on St. Thomas – the teachers' strike, DMV strike, the election …
I made a huge mistake! I should have gone to Micronesia or Siberia or, well, anywhere but here: Palm Beach, Fla.
Forget watching TV sitcoms and the soaps. They are continually interrupted by late-breaking news on the recounts and the lawsuits filed by the parties at odds in the presidential election. Forget conversation with friends about the "old days." The talk is all of opinions on the latest election news. Drive to downtown West Palm Beach? Forget it with the traffic jams caused by news crews and their equipment from all over the world. Yep, all the major TV networks, all the Florida stations, and others from stations in Oregon, Wisconsin, New Mexico, even Japan, Holland and Germany.
Two days ago, I'm walking around Sailfish Marina, where I am staying, and here comes CNN, with trucks, satellite dishes and microphones … interviewing patrons trying to enjoy their lunch and the lovely waterfront view. Last night, I'm having dinner with a friend in West Palm Beach. In comes a TV crew, cameras and roadies. Trying to leave the watering hole, we are assaulted with bright lights and microphones. We go back in and have another drink.
So, what the heck is going on? I still can't figure it out. It seems the ballot approved for use in Palm Beach County was a "butterfly" style, meaning it opened on two sides with the voting spaces for both sides down the common center. Listed first on the left side was George W. Bush, with an arrow pointing right, to a punch hole. The second punch hole, underneath it, was for Pat Buchanan, whose name was listed on the right side of the ballot, with an arrow pointing left. Back on the left side, the space under Bush's was for Al Gore, with an arrow pointing right, to the third hole. The local story is that thousands of confused people punched the second hole, thinking they were voting for Gore, but really voted for Buchanan. Some 19,000 people punched both the second and third holes, which many Gore partisans speculate was in an effort to correct their incorrectly having punched the second hole.
Confused? I am. The 19,000 votes were thrown out as "spoiled." Someone filed a lawsuit contesting that their intended vote was not counted, and then numerous lawsuits followed. We've since had machine recounts and manual recounts and orders not to count them and orders to keep on counting them. And then there are the absentee ballots, including some that showed up from military installations without the requisite postmark and thus were thrown out, but have now been ordered back in.
Jesse Jackson was in town the other day leading a rally for a re-vote by all in Palm Beach County. There were large demonstrations, and things became a little stressed at one point, when the picketing Bush supporters forced Jackson and his entourage back to a local auditorium.
What happens next is up to the Florida Supreme Court.
I have lost track of the complete picture. I am off to meet some friends for drinks, sure they will try to straighten me out. Then I will try to report in a more cohesive manner, as I am certain to be accosted by a national or international news crew sooner or later. Stay tuned.
Kathie McCarthy
St. Thomas
I decided to take a three-week vacation to the area where I grew up … catch up with old chums, see the sites, take a break from the hectic pace on St. Thomas. Maybe watch some television, take long walks on endless beaches and, in general, relax after all the mayhem on St. Thomas – the teachers' strike, DMV strike, the election …
I made a huge mistake! I should have gone to Micronesia or Siberia or, well, anywhere but here: Palm Beach, Fla.
Forget watching TV sitcoms and the soaps. They are continually interrupted by late-breaking news on the recounts and the lawsuits filed by the parties at odds in the presidential election. Forget conversation with friends about the "old days." The talk is all of opinions on the latest election news. Drive to downtown West Palm Beach? Forget it with the traffic jams caused by news crews and their equipment from all over the world. Yep, all the major TV networks, all the Florida stations, and others from stations in Oregon, Wisconsin, New Mexico, even Japan, Holland and Germany.
Two days ago, I'm walking around Sailfish Marina, where I am staying, and here comes CNN, with trucks, satellite dishes and microphones … interviewing patrons trying to enjoy their lunch and the lovely waterfront view. Last night, I'm having dinner with a friend in West Palm Beach. In comes a TV crew, cameras and roadies. Trying to leave the watering hole, we are assaulted with bright lights and microphones. We go back in and have another drink.
So, what the heck is going on? I still can't figure it out. It seems the ballot approved for use in Palm Beach County was a "butterfly" style, meaning it opened on two sides with the voting spaces for both sides down the common center. Listed first on the left side was George W. Bush, with an arrow pointing right, to a punch hole. The second punch hole, underneath it, was for Pat Buchanan, whose name was listed on the right side of the ballot, with an arrow pointing left. Back on the left side, the space under Bush's was for Al Gore, with an arrow pointing right, to the third hole. The local story is that thousands of confused people punched the second hole, thinking they were voting for Gore, but really voted for Buchanan. Some 19,000 people punched both the second and third holes, which many Gore partisans speculate was in an effort to correct their incorrectly having punched the second hole.
Confused? I am. The 19,000 votes were thrown out as "spoiled." Someone filed a lawsuit contesting that their intended vote was not counted, and then numerous lawsuits followed. We've since had machine recounts and manual recounts and orders not to count them and orders to keep on counting them. And then there are the absentee ballots, including some that showed up from military installations without the requisite postmark and thus were thrown out, but have now been ordered back in.
Jesse Jackson was in town the other day leading a rally for a re-vote by all in Palm Beach County. There were large demonstrations, and things became a little stressed at one point, when the picketing Bush supporters forced Jackson and his entourage back to a local auditorium.
What happens next is up to the Florida Supreme Court.
I have lost track of the complete picture. I am off to meet some friends for drinks, sure they will try to straighten me out. Then I will try to report in a more cohesive manner, as I am certain to be accosted by a national or international news crew sooner or later. Stay tuned.
Kathie McCarthy
St. Thomas
THE WAY TO BE SAFE IS TO PLAN IT THAT WAY
Dear Source:
This is for Emily Jackson.
Dear Emily:
I can say from my experience of living on St. Thomas for a short time and from the friends that I have living on St. Thomas that it is a very safe place. But you have control over that safety.
The choice of where you live will determine how safe you are. So will when you shop and where you shop. People just need to keep in mind that there is crime everywhere, and the choices you make will make the difference between it's being an unsafe place or a safe place.
My wife and I lived on St. Thomas in 1996-97 and will return in 2001 to live there permanently. I can say that we were always safe and that there are so many wonderful and loving people on St. Thomas. It would be a wonderful place to bring up a 4-year-old child. The beauty of the island, the wonderful people and the culture all add to the benefits of living there. Just plan to be safe.
Soon to be a resident again.
Brad Schweizer
This is for Emily Jackson.
Dear Emily:
I can say from my experience of living on St. Thomas for a short time and from the friends that I have living on St. Thomas that it is a very safe place. But you have control over that safety.
The choice of where you live will determine how safe you are. So will when you shop and where you shop. People just need to keep in mind that there is crime everywhere, and the choices you make will make the difference between it's being an unsafe place or a safe place.
My wife and I lived on St. Thomas in 1996-97 and will return in 2001 to live there permanently. I can say that we were always safe and that there are so many wonderful and loving people on St. Thomas. It would be a wonderful place to bring up a 4-year-old child. The beauty of the island, the wonderful people and the culture all add to the benefits of living there. Just plan to be safe.
Soon to be a resident again.
Brad Schweizer
ENTRYWAY FINALLY CONNECTS TUTU MALL, KMART
After a two-year wait, shoppers at Tutu Park Mall will now be able to enter Kmart from a new entryway dedicated Saturday afternoon.
Amid prizes, live music and giveaways, hundreds of residents watched as Debs Crowley of Tutu Park Mall and George Newman of Kmart snipped the ribbon marking the official opening of the entryway. The mall and Kmart stayed packed with people long into the evening.
In the past, shoppers were required to exit the mall altogether to get from Kmart to the shopping mall and from the mall to Kmart. The construction of the access also provides the opportunity for two more shops to open their doors. A computer store and a children's clothing store will line either side of the entryway in the future, Mall officials said.
Newman said Saturday that during his two months on the island, he been asked many times about the opening of the entryway, which was timed to coincide with the start of the holiday shopping season. "The only people that are more excited today about this are the hundreds of shoppers ready to stroll on through from the mall to Kmart," he said. "It's a two-way street and everyone is happy."
Before snipping the ribbon, Crowley said the mall's management had worked diligently to bring the project to completion before the holidays.
Amid prizes, live music and giveaways, hundreds of residents watched as Debs Crowley of Tutu Park Mall and George Newman of Kmart snipped the ribbon marking the official opening of the entryway. The mall and Kmart stayed packed with people long into the evening.
In the past, shoppers were required to exit the mall altogether to get from Kmart to the shopping mall and from the mall to Kmart. The construction of the access also provides the opportunity for two more shops to open their doors. A computer store and a children's clothing store will line either side of the entryway in the future, Mall officials said.
Newman said Saturday that during his two months on the island, he been asked many times about the opening of the entryway, which was timed to coincide with the start of the holiday shopping season. "The only people that are more excited today about this are the hundreds of shoppers ready to stroll on through from the mall to Kmart," he said. "It's a two-way street and everyone is happy."
Before snipping the ribbon, Crowley said the mall's management had worked diligently to bring the project to completion before the holidays.
SAFETY NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE ON ST. THOMAS
Dear Source:
Regarding Emily Jackson's request (see previous Open Forum letter headlined "Would this be a safe move?"), I offer the following:
Dear Emily:
As a former resident of St. Thomas for 10 years and a person raised in Indiana, I can completely understand your feeling to relocate. Let me begin by saying that I loved living on St. Thomas more than anything. I moved to the island as a young, single woman and left married and with a 2-year-old child. My husband was born on St. Thomas as was my daughter. We left in 1998.
You asked whether it is "safe." Yet, you are not concerned about the economy? Please be realistic in understanding that one's personal safety is related to a community's economy. How can you be safe in an environment when people may be robbing you so that they can buy food to eat? I am not saying that is how it is; yet, understand the correlation.
I was on St. Thomas when Hurricane Marilyn hit in 1995. I lived there through the recovery and rebuilding; yet, we still ended up leaving – not such an easy thing to do for born-and-raised Virgin Islanders. Yet, when my husband made the final decision, he said we must leave due to the nature of the "safety" of the island. I am a white woman; he is a Rastafarian black man. This was so difficult for both of us. We miss St. Thomas every day.
In normal times you may not have to worry about safety. Yet, even in Indiana, things are not always normal. Understand that in the Caribbean, there are cultures among cultures. People from each of the Caribbean islands live in different ways. What you may consider a normal thing – such as education, safety and a good work environment – is not how it may be on St. Thomas. The people of the island are still struggling from the horrible disaster they suffered in 1995. St. Croix still feels the "pain" from Hurricane Hugo in 1989. These were difficult times for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the effects still blend into the economic and personal well-being of the place. Again, understand the connection.
Living there allowed me to understand there was a whole other world besides Indiana. The islands are the most beautiful place on Earth. The people are the most generous in the world, once they know and trust you. Again, understand that this does not happen overnight. I hope that before you pack your home and child for the move, you at least go on an exploratory visit. Look at the schools, see the job potential, talk to both white and black "locals." Get a feel for your own safety. Only you can judge by your own standards.
I will be happy to talk with you more in-depth via e-mail. Also, just to let you know: We will be moving back to St. Thomas someday; we just don’t know when. One thing I can say: It will always be our home.
Jah bless you and your son.
Linda Benjamin
Regarding Emily Jackson's request (see previous Open Forum letter headlined "Would this be a safe move?"), I offer the following:
Dear Emily:
As a former resident of St. Thomas for 10 years and a person raised in Indiana, I can completely understand your feeling to relocate. Let me begin by saying that I loved living on St. Thomas more than anything. I moved to the island as a young, single woman and left married and with a 2-year-old child. My husband was born on St. Thomas as was my daughter. We left in 1998.
You asked whether it is "safe." Yet, you are not concerned about the economy? Please be realistic in understanding that one's personal safety is related to a community's economy. How can you be safe in an environment when people may be robbing you so that they can buy food to eat? I am not saying that is how it is; yet, understand the correlation.
I was on St. Thomas when Hurricane Marilyn hit in 1995. I lived there through the recovery and rebuilding; yet, we still ended up leaving – not such an easy thing to do for born-and-raised Virgin Islanders. Yet, when my husband made the final decision, he said we must leave due to the nature of the "safety" of the island. I am a white woman; he is a Rastafarian black man. This was so difficult for both of us. We miss St. Thomas every day.
In normal times you may not have to worry about safety. Yet, even in Indiana, things are not always normal. Understand that in the Caribbean, there are cultures among cultures. People from each of the Caribbean islands live in different ways. What you may consider a normal thing – such as education, safety and a good work environment – is not how it may be on St. Thomas. The people of the island are still struggling from the horrible disaster they suffered in 1995. St. Croix still feels the "pain" from Hurricane Hugo in 1989. These were difficult times for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the effects still blend into the economic and personal well-being of the place. Again, understand the connection.
Living there allowed me to understand there was a whole other world besides Indiana. The islands are the most beautiful place on Earth. The people are the most generous in the world, once they know and trust you. Again, understand that this does not happen overnight. I hope that before you pack your home and child for the move, you at least go on an exploratory visit. Look at the schools, see the job potential, talk to both white and black "locals." Get a feel for your own safety. Only you can judge by your own standards.
I will be happy to talk with you more in-depth via e-mail. Also, just to let you know: We will be moving back to St. Thomas someday; we just don’t know when. One thing I can say: It will always be our home.
Jah bless you and your son.
Linda Benjamin
BIG WIND FAILS TO CHILL HOT LASER REGATTA
Tiffany Baranowski of St. John placed first in the closely contested Gold singles at the Veuve Clicquot Women's Laser Regatta this weekend at the St. Thomas Yacht Club.
Ann Neuberger of St. Croix finished second, with Cat Taylor of St. John in third and defending champion Constance Goedhart of St. Maarten in fourth.
The St. Thomas banner was carried by the winning Gold doubles team of Emily Newbold and Carlin Wesley, but the St. John sailing program showed its strength with second and third place taken by the teams of Baranowski/Jessica Buchalter and Mercy Cover/Echo Bachschmid.
The Silver Single Fleet finished with a tie for first broken in favor of Rebecca Rusham, placing Dana Carini second, with Sue Cilliers in third.
Awards for special contributions to the event were presented to Cilliers, who received a new Laser sail and Carini, who received a gift certificate from Caribbean Inflatable Services.
Cilliers said she was surprised by how well she placed in this year's event, as she had not had a chance to practice since last year. She gave much of the credit to the advice of visiting coach Betsy Allison, five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the year.
"Betsy is a wonderful teacher, and every year has something different to say," said Cilliers, "This year I followed her advice to keep my head out of the boat and slow down to stay out of trouble, and it really helped me out on the course."
The regatta started Friday with some participants leery of the 12 to 15 knot winds, but at the end of the event Sunday, sailors were calling for more races in spite of winds blowing 15 to 18 knots and gusts to 20, according to regatta director Ruth Miller.
Ann Neuberger of St. Croix finished second, with Cat Taylor of St. John in third and defending champion Constance Goedhart of St. Maarten in fourth.
The St. Thomas banner was carried by the winning Gold doubles team of Emily Newbold and Carlin Wesley, but the St. John sailing program showed its strength with second and third place taken by the teams of Baranowski/Jessica Buchalter and Mercy Cover/Echo Bachschmid.
The Silver Single Fleet finished with a tie for first broken in favor of Rebecca Rusham, placing Dana Carini second, with Sue Cilliers in third.
Awards for special contributions to the event were presented to Cilliers, who received a new Laser sail and Carini, who received a gift certificate from Caribbean Inflatable Services.
Cilliers said she was surprised by how well she placed in this year's event, as she had not had a chance to practice since last year. She gave much of the credit to the advice of visiting coach Betsy Allison, five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the year.
"Betsy is a wonderful teacher, and every year has something different to say," said Cilliers, "This year I followed her advice to keep my head out of the boat and slow down to stay out of trouble, and it really helped me out on the course."
The regatta started Friday with some participants leery of the 12 to 15 knot winds, but at the end of the event Sunday, sailors were calling for more races in spite of winds blowing 15 to 18 knots and gusts to 20, according to regatta director Ruth Miller.
WOMEN'S COLLEGE HOOPS AT KEAN FRIDAY, SATURDAY
Tickets are now available for the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, a four-game NCAA women's basketball tournament on Friday and Saturday with four Division I teams, all of them in the top 20 in the country.
Two games each night are scheduled, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School gymnasium. The four teams competing are LSU, Penn State, Southwest Missouri State and Texas Tech; Monday's Associated Press poll ranked Penn State at No. 9 among the country's Division I schools, LSU 10, Texas Tech 13 and SW Missouri State at No. 17.
The match-ups are as follows: Penn State takes on Texas Tech in Friday's first game, followed by LSU vs. SW Missouri State. On Saturday, the winners of those games face each other, as do the losers of Friday's games.
Tickets are $10 for V.I. residents, $20 for nonresidents, and are available at The Color of Joy in American Yacht Harbor, Family Health Center in Barbel Plaza, Kean High School, Nisky Pharmacy and V.I. Bridal and Tuxedo in Tutu Park Mall. Valid identification may be required at purchase.
For more information, call Tourism at 774-8784.
Two games each night are scheduled, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School gymnasium. The four teams competing are LSU, Penn State, Southwest Missouri State and Texas Tech; Monday's Associated Press poll ranked Penn State at No. 9 among the country's Division I schools, LSU 10, Texas Tech 13 and SW Missouri State at No. 17.
The match-ups are as follows: Penn State takes on Texas Tech in Friday's first game, followed by LSU vs. SW Missouri State. On Saturday, the winners of those games face each other, as do the losers of Friday's games.
Tickets are $10 for V.I. residents, $20 for nonresidents, and are available at The Color of Joy in American Yacht Harbor, Family Health Center in Barbel Plaza, Kean High School, Nisky Pharmacy and V.I. Bridal and Tuxedo in Tutu Park Mall. Valid identification may be required at purchase.
For more information, call Tourism at 774-8784.
