Octavia Ross, a 40-year educator on St. Croix, died Monday morning after a brief time at the Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital.
Ross is the mother of Rupert Ross Jr., island administrator for Gov. Charles Turnbull. The governor expressed shock and sadness to news of the passing of Octavia Ross, the granddaughter of noted Virgin Islands educator Emanuel Benjamin Oliver.
"Mrs. Ross made a significant contribution to the people of the Virgin Islands, not only for a 40 year distinguished career as an educator in her own right, but by the contribution of her offspring," said Turnbull.
Octavia Ross, who was recognized as Woman of the Year in 1978, was married to Rupert W. Ross Sr. They had seven children together: Rupert W. Ross Jr.; Territorial Court Judge Edgar Ross; Jewel Ross Brathwaite, principal of Eulalie Rivera Elementary School; James Ross; Lt. Col. Janice Ross Grant; Raymond Ross and Edward Ross.
"Her offspring have made and continue to make significant contributions to the territory in many important fields of endeavor," Turnbull said.
Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II also sent his condolences to the Ross family. He said Rupert and Edgar were his teachers at Christiansted Junior High School in 1965-66, and he served in the 20th Legislature with Judge Ross.
"Mrs. Ross was a dedicated educator, whose last position before here retirement was principal of the Evelyn Williams School. It is evident that she was a caring, compassionate lady who reared her own children, and cared for the children she taught with love and integrity," James said.

The St. Croix Youth Soccer Association hosted a visit by two St. Thomas Youth Soccer Association teams this weekend at the ALCOA field.
The St. Croix Under-14 Strikers team, boasting a a 2 – 0 record in the V.I. league, played first against St. Thomas Youth Soccer in an exciting game. The match at the half was 3 – 1 in favor of the visitors. Adjustments to tactics during the break turned the tables and the Strikers struck back in the second half with three goals to take three points.
In other action, the Strikers lined up against a strong Cancryn team that have proved to be the dominant team in the five-team league. The visitors were in yellow and black striped shirts and looked like wasps. Early in the game they stung with a goal and then held the lead until deep into the second half. A spectacular shot from 25 yards off the foot of Tony Rois tied up the score giving both teams a hard earned win.
Final games will be played Saturday Nov. 18. The league champion will be the winner between The Senior Girls team Nichols, Newman, Logan & D'Eramo and Hamilton Purified Water.
Nichols, Newman, Logan & D'Eramo (4) Goals – Coral Megahy (3) Bernita Boxhill (1)
Catalina Pools (2) Gaols – Azman Rougie (2)
Hamilton Purified Water (5) Goals – Tony Rios (2) Jonathan Kenndey (1)
Josh Rames (1) Malcolm Corry (1)
Rogers Photography (2) Goals – Michael Baum (1) Caryle Rogers (1)
Standings
P W D L Pts
NNLD 5 3 1 1 10
HPW 5 3 0 2 9
RP 5 2 1 2 7
CP 5 1 0 3 3

Never mind the 500 pages worth of statistics and 200-plus recommendations. The core of the so-called Five Year Plan couldn't be more simple: If you want to stop the government's financial free-fall into bankruptcy, you can't just reduce spending, you've also got to improve the private sector.
And the private sector is in need of strengthening.
In the Five Year Operating and Strategic Financial Plan, the Economic Recovery Task Force cites numerous signs of decline. In recent years, the U.S. Virgin Islands air tourism market share has decreased from 8.7 percent to 5.5 percent. In 1980 the territory provided 10 percent of all the accommodation units in the Caribbean, but that number has dropped to 4 percent. With the exceptions of Hurricane Hugo rebuilding and construction of the HOVIC addition, building activity has been static for a decade.
Again with the HOVIC exception, employment has not grown in 12 years. Wages have been flat since 1994. Commercial bank assets dropped from $2.3 billion to 1989 to $1.4 billion in 1998. The marine industry shrunk from $83 million in 1989 to $20 million currently.
To counter this decline, the Plan recommends tax reform, expansion of the financial services industry, better promotion and management of the tourism industry, one-stop service centers for business licensing and regulation, and the privatization of many government functions. (See separate stories on tax reform and tourism.)
Privatization has a double benefit, according to the task force.
"Most governments with bloated bureaucracies and narrowly based private sectors consider privatization a way to reduce the size of the government and simultaneously enhance and broaden their private sector base. This paradigm shift is especially heightened and compelling in the case of small economies such as the U.S. Virgin Islands and a number of Caribbean economies in the region."
The Plan, which was released in the spring, favored the sale of the V.I. Water and Power Authority, which was later defeated in the Legislature. It also recommends either outsourcing the management of public transportation or selling the entire operation, including buses, to a private concern.
Other targets for outsourcing or privatization include the management of the government's fleet of some 1,055 vehicles, public parking lots, school lunch programs, government printing, some security, collection of property tax and lease agreement delinquencies, and the Lottery.
The task force recognizes what it calls "a level of skepticism between the public and private sectors that has impeded economic growth and expansion." Nevertheless, it notes that the Legislature already has initiated the "policy consideration" by requiring the executive branch to submit plans for privatization.
It recommends a joint public-private working group to follow up on specific areas.
"It is only through an extensive outsourcing and privatization program that the government can hope to reduce its current excessive workforce and reduce its General Fund expenditures," according to the Plan.
"All stakeholders in the U.S. Virgin Islands economy need to be educated regarding the benefits of privatization and private sector development in terms of long-term economic development and prosperity."

Gov. Charles W. Turnbull on Monday renominated Brenda Hollar for a second term as judge of the Territorial Court, St. Thomas-St. John.
In his renomination letter to Senate President Vargrave Richards, Turnbull said Hollar has continued "to display the dedication, wisdom, insight and judicial temperament necessary to fairly and equitably serve the people of the Virgin Islands."
Hollar has served one six-year term, which expires on Nov. 28. The Senate must confirm her renomination to the bench.
A native of Queens, New York, Hollar worked as an assistant attorney general and in private practice before being nominated to the Territorial Court.

The board of directiors of the United Way of St. Thomas-St. John will hold their monthly meeting at noon on Thursday, Nov. 16 in the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce conference room.
For more information call 774-3185.

The board of directors of the United Way of St. Thomas-St. John will hold their monthly meeting at noon on Thursday, Nov. 16 in the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce conference room.
For more information call 774-3185.

The Government Employees' Retirement System will hold a seminar at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 in the GERS conference room, third floor GERS building.
This seminar is for employees who want to learn more about retiring under Act 6361.
For more information or to pre-register call Julia Abramson, extension 4202, or Lydia Smith, extension 4208.

The Government Employees' Retirement System will hold a seminar at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 in the GERS conference room, third floor GERS building.
This seminar is for employees who want to learn more about retiring under Act 6361.
For more information or to pre-register call Julia Abramson, extension 4202, or Lydia Smith, extension 4208.

The University of the Virgin Islands closed on the purchase of 207 acres of land on the western border of the St. Thomas campus recently, effectively doubling its size, it was reported at a Board of Trustees meeting Saturday on St. Croix.
The purchase of the land had been approved at a previous meeting, though no plans were announced for its use.
In other action at the meeting, UVI President Orville Kean laid out the two main thrusts of the university's draft strategic plan. First is involving the community by more closely aligning UVI in a network of partnerships with government, business and other groups to focus the university's community service. Secondly, the plan aims to strengthen UVI's sustained development through revenue enhancement, increased enrollment, fund-raising and entrepreneurship, among other initiatives.
The Academic Committee reported on an agreement with the University of St. Maarten to offer an associate's degree online in accounting. And it was reported at the meeting that the new Sports and Fitness Center is slated for completion in December.
Resolutions approved by the board were as follows:
– approval of a naming policy for major financial contributions, with some slight modification;
– a budget for the UVI Foundation;
– extension of the university's early retirement plan;
– allowing UVI employees to be included in the V.I. government's early retirement incentive act.

The University of the Virgin Islands closed on the purchase of 207 acres of land on the western border of the St. Thomas campus recently, effectively doubling its size, it was reported at a Board of Trustees meeting Saturday on St. Croix.
The purchase of the land had been approved at a previous meeting, though no plans were announced for its use.
In other action at the meeting, UVI President Orville Kean laid out the two main thrusts of the university's draft strategic plan. First is involving the community by more closely aligning UVI in a network of partnerships with government, business and other groups to focus the university's community service. Secondly, the plan aims to strengthen UVI's sustained development through revenue enhancement, increased enrollment, fund-raising and entrepreneurship, among other initiatives.
The Academic Committee reported on an agreement with the University of St. Maarten to offer an associate's degree online in accounting. And it was reported at the meeting that the new Sports and Fitness Center is slated for completion in December.
Resolutions approved by the board were as follows:
– approval of a naming policy for major financial contributions, with some slight modification;
– a budget for the UVI Foundation;
– extension of the university's early retirement plan;
– allowing UVI employees to be included in the V.I. government's early retirement incentive act.