The Charlotte Amalie St. Thomas Lions Club's New Officers Third Installation will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4, at L'Escarot Restaurant in Sub Basse.
Interested persons may contact any of the club members or call 776-4509.

Last of a three-part series
From the day 19-year-old Geoffrey Brian Kennedy was shot in the back and left paralyzed from the waist down, he, his parents and the friend who is their most vocal advocate have had nothing but good things to say about the professional medical and law-enforcement help they've gotten.
But in the five weeks since the April 25 broad-daylight shooting in downtown Charlotte Amalie, their anxiety has grown about what is being done to investigate the crime. And their efforts to retrieve Geoff Kennedy's wallet, passport and backpack from the V.I. Police Department have been frustrated so far.
Police have not communicated with Geoff Kennedy since an officer took information from him in the Roy L. Schneider Hospital emergency room that same day.
On Tuesday, Sgt. Reynold Fraser of the V.I. Police Department's Investigation Bureau on St. Thomas told the Source that the case is "progressing satisfactorily" and that he anticipates arresting a suspect in the "reasonable near future."
In a press release from the Police Department on the day of the shooting, Police Chief Jose Garcia stated that a spent casing from a .38-caliber handgun was found at the scene, as was a brown bicycle that the assailant apparently used before fleeing on foot.
Sgt. Anthony Hunt was at the shooting scene. He said he "was there in my capacity as sergeant of the Forensics Unit." He declined further comment, saying only that "the investigative chief is the one that you would really have to talk to."
That person is Fraser.
"We are actively working the case, and it's progressing satisfactorily," Fraser said Tuesday. "We have the bicycle in our possession." He said police have identified the owner of the bike. He would not confirm that police have custody of the .38 bullet casing, however, and would say only, "It seems the forensic unit was at the scene."
Asked if police anticipated taking the bicycle owner into custody, Fraser said, "I think it's best not to comment any further on the case." He said he anticipates that a suspect will be apprehended "within a reasonable near future." He declined to specify an estimated time frame, repeating, "a reasonable near future."
Fraser said he spoke to Terry Kennedy by telephone "last week," while the elder Kennedy puts the date at two and a half weeks ago. As to how soon he anticipates being able to arrange for Geoff Kennedy to view a photo line-up, Fraser would say only, "At this point, I'm not going to comment any more. Things are at a too-sensitive stage."
Fraser said he and Hunt "are the supervisors of the units" involved in investigating the shooting. He also said that the man charged in the fatal shooting on Main Street last week of 18-year-old Jason Carroll is not a suspect in the Kennedy case.
The Kennedys have praised the work of the police and emergency medical personnel at the scene of the shooting, in the Schneider Hospital emergency room, in the Puerto Rico hospital where Geoff Kennedy spent 24 days, and at the San Juan rehabilitation center where he is now receiving intensive therapy.
His mother, Pam Kennedy, spoke once by telephone with Hunt as the officer who went to the scene of the crime. She was gratified to learn that he had received emergency medical training and grateful that he warned those gathered at the site "not to touch Geoff," so the bullet, between two vertebrae and close to the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body, would not dislodge.
His father, Terry Kennedy, says he received the message about two and a half weeks ago that Fraser had telephoned him at the Puerto Rico hotel where he has been staying to be with his son. He returned the call, spoke with Fraser, and said the officer asked when someone from the Police Department could show his son some photographs to see if he could identify his assailant. According to Terry Kennedy, that was the only communication he has had with police.
Mary Castle Bartolucci, the mother of Geoff Kennedy's closest friend, Antilles School graduating senior Lesley Castle, has tried for weeks to retrieve Geoff's personal possessions that were taken by the police at the scene of the shooting.
According to Bartolucci, who lives on St. John, the latest word is that his parents, who are the managing partners of a small hotel on Tortola, must provide a notarized letter authorizing the police to release the items — his wallet containing about $200, his U.S. passport and his backpack — to her.

The Government Employee's Retirement System invites members over 30 years of age to participate in a Pre-retirement Workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, in the GERS Conference Room.
Learn more about Social Security and System benefits, health insurance coverage, and securing your financial future.
For additional information or to pre-register, call Mrs. Lorraine G. Morton at 776-7703 ext. 4203.

The Charlotte Amalie St. Thomas Lions Club's New Officers Third Installation will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4, at L'Escargot Restaurant in Sub Base.
Interested persons may contact any of the club members or call 776-4509.

Dear Source,
There is no doubt that violence in our society is everywhere, no island, state or country is free of this disease. And every place deals with it in different ways, even stateside certain cities, counties and towns each deal with it in different ways, some more aggressive than others. However when you're a small island and rely almost totally on tourism it has to be dealt with very aggressively. St Thomas, " Americas Paradise ," has to do this or it stands to lose millions in revenue from a business that's already seen a decline the past 10 years.
I was a teenager when I moved to St Thomas in 1986, I had grown up in a small town in New Jersey that was totally oblivious to anything more serious than maybe a bicycle being stolen. Within two months of living on the island I watched as a man ran down the waterfront with a machete in his hand – the police not far behind — and as he stopped the bullets flew killing him dead on the waterfront in front of me.
Three years later and just feeling comfortable living there I was exposed to one of the most heinous crimes ever when my girlfriend's mother was gunned down by three robbers at her hotel. Something that has scarred my life as well as many others forever.
I left St Thomas not long after that only to learn that another friend was also paralyzed by a bullet in a robbery of a bar in Mafolie. I could only sit down and wonder how this woman's life was changed forever that night.
This June brings my first return to Americas Paradise in nine years, for Antilles Schools 50th reunion. My excitement grows everyday as I think about coming back to the white sand, the crystal clear water and the tropical breeze to see friends that I haven't seen in a very long time.
The beautiful sunsets on the island and the down island views are something that would bring peace and relaxation to anyone.
St Thomians, you have to learn how to at least reduce your crime and your corruption. You're a tiny island that relies on millions of people from all over the world and they're watching and listening to what's going on down there. And they all communicate with each other about it.
Geoffrey Kennedy, you're to be admired for being so strong willed. You have a lot of friends who are pulling for you, I wish you the best of luck.
Chris Williams
Philadelphia, Pa.

The excitement is mounting for the annual fishing tournament
in Frenchtown on June 11.
The event is sponsored jointly by The Committee for the Betterment of Carenage, Inc. and Coors Light distributed by Bellow's International.
The tournament is the official beginning of the Father's Day weekend celebration, which is being held June 16, 17 and 18 at the Joseph Aubain Ball Park in Frenchtown. This is the sixth year of this tournament.
The tournament will feature fishing from 5:30 a.m. to midday, the time
when all boats are required to return to the Gustave Quetel Fishing Center for the
weigh-in. Qualifying fish include dolphin, wahoo, horse-eye, barracuda, amberjack, bonito, tuna and mackerel.
A $1,000 cash prize is being offered by CBC to the angler reeling in the biggest fish. Prizes are to be awarded in several categories as well. The winners of both the Mother's Day and Father's Day fishing tournaments will be announced on Father's Day at 7 p.m.
An anglers meeting is scheduled for June 7 at the Frenchtown Community Center. Pre-registration will be available at the anglers meeting. A second registration day is set for June 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Aubain Ball Park.
In addition to Coors Light, Hawaiian Tropic is also a sponsor of the annual Father's Day Fishing Tournament in Frenchtown.
For more information please contact Teddy Danet at 774-0889.

The Virgin Islands ended up as a focus of controversy in the national media again last week. This time, however, it was neither tourism nor violence that prompted a small article in a Washington Post column called "In the Loop."
The article reported that ACT UP/D.C., a Washington-based gay rights and AIDS advocacy group, had criticized a group of AIDS service providers for their plans to hold a meeting on St. Thomas this week.
The criticism was mostly directed at the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is sponsoring the conference.
In a press release, ACT UP/D.C. officials expressed anger that the conference attendees would be using federal Ryan White CARE Act money earmarked for treatment services for AIDS patients "for travel and luxurious lodging expenses."
Wayne Turner, ACT UP/ D.C. spokesman, told the Source, "One again we have another conference which is simply a junket – an excursion for bureaucrats. They can hang out at an island resort and talk about AIDS treatment."
Turner is adamant that the Ryan White funds are earmarked to offer direct services to poor people with AIDS.
According to Ernest Hopkins, strategist for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen, who is a medical doctor, has been instrumental in securing significant increases in Title III planning grants for community-based organizations to attend conferences such as the one scheduled on St. Thomas starting Thursday night.
Christensen expressed frustration over the controversy. "There is a problem every time anyone wants to come here," she said. "It is perceived as a jaunt because they are coming to the V.I."
But, she added, "We have needs, too. The best way for us to get attention — because we don't have a vote — is by having people come here and put a face on the issues."
She said it was her understanding that local physicians had been invited to attend the conference training sessions but didn't know how much of a response there had been. She said some local doctors are still not comfortable dealing with AIDS. Attempts to reach anyone at HRSA to determine if local physicians would be attending failed.
Hopkins said he thinks Christensen "deserves a lot of credit for pushing the problem of HIV/AIDS in the Virgin Islands" to Health and Human Services.
The Ryan White CARE Fund has four purposes. The one for training, called Title III, provides, among other things, grants to existing facilities that provide HIV/AIDS outreach, Hopkins said. Because African-American and Hispanic communities have so few HIV specialists, he said, the Title III funds are especially important.
Hopkins defended the choice of the Virgin Islands as the conference site, saying the trip would offer participants "an opportunity to see what health care delivery really looks like on the ground in a developing area."
But Turner criticized this rationale, saying the conference was by invitation only and did not include people with AIDS.
The conference, to be held at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort, opens Thursday night and goes through Sunday, which is a free day. The agenda includes several technical workshops such as "Genotypic and Phenotypic Testing" and "Metabolic Impact of Antiretroviral Treatments" well as case study sessions.
About 150 people were expected to take part. Christensen said she has heard that a few decided not to attend in light the ACT UP criticism, but she could not confirm this was the case.
Hopkins said the annual conference, which is specifically for HIV direct care providers from small organizations, is important. The target audience is people who would never have the opportunity without support from HRSA funds to attend conferences for updates and to meet cohorts from other small organizations, he said.
Previous annual conferences were held Phoenix, Ariz,. and New Orleans, La.
The program begins at 6 p.m. Thursday with a reception. The keynote address, a review of new treatment data, is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.

The Port Authority is holding a competition to select a design to make the apron on the St. Thomas waterfront more attractive and user-friendly between the Kings Wharf/Coast Guard dock and the Blyden Terminal for ferries serving the British Virgin Islands.
"We are looking to make the waterfront much more interesting," Port Authority planner Darlin Brin said. "The proposals must include two shaded areas, but we made no other specific stipulations; so the designers can really use their imaginations."
He said plans "should be consistent with the historic district specifications and should include recommendations for the safety of pedestrians" to move back and forth across Veterans Drive.
The preliminary proposals and the designers' qualifications must be submitted to the Port Authority by June 16. A week later, Brin expects to turn those designs making the first cut back to their designers for refinement. After reviewing the finalized proposals, Port Authority staff members will select the design to receive the contract. The second- and third-favored proposals will each receive an award of $5,000.
Brin estimates the budget for the project at $1.4 million. He says the financing has not yet been allocated but would be available from the Port Authority budget and from Federal T21 Highway Transportation funds. "There are specific funds available for enhancement and development of this type of project," he said. "Construction could begin very soon but would have to be done in phases because of all the activity in the area."
José Ortega of the St. Thomas firm Paradigm Design is pleased that the Port Authority recognizes the esthetic, social and economic value of the waterfront. "This kind of competition is very progressive here in the Virgin Islands, very positive, in that it gets people together in the planning," he said.
"This is a very complex area with an active transportation port of tenders, the Caneel Bay boat, and down island shipping," Ortega said. "It needs a sense of arrival, a welcoming atmosphere, and a connection between the harbor and the town as it was historically."
Mike De Haas of Brill, De Haas and Associates attended the preliminary bid meeting but has since decided not to enter the competition. He questioned why the Port Authority would want to take on the project. "I don't understand where the project came out of and why the Port Authority is not working with Public Works to develop a more comprehensive project," he said.
"It's a shot in the dark and a lot of work for little money even if you get the contract," De Haas continued. "Other firms have been involved in research for Plan 8 or alternatives, but we are handicapped by not having done that preliminary research." Plan 8 is the long-standing proposal to built a four-lane roadway connecting Veterans Drive to Long Bay that would extend out around the Legislature Building and require extensive landfill.
John Woods of the Jaredian Design Group, an advocate of Plan 8, said he intends to participate in the design competition and thinks it is a good idea to do something about the apron now while debate continues over the highway project. "It is an under-utilized area – everyone indicates that," he said, "and we need to be prepared for more traffic arriving on the apron as a result of the more and larger ships coming to St. Thomas now."
Robert deJongh of deJongh Associates says he will submit a design. "The concept of the competition is good," he said. "It will present the Port Authority with a series of ideas that they may not have arrived at alone."
However, he said it concerns him that "the Port Authority is limited in responsibility to the scope of the apron and has no control over the roadway or the other side of Veterans Drive. It is just one piece of the larger puzzle." He termed the situation "symptomatic of the lack of overall planning in this community."
Also, deJongh said, architects, unlike artists, are not happy to have their designs hung on the wall: "They are frustrated unless the plans develop into something meaningful." He said the community needs an overall planning commission to develop comprehensive plans for the future.

Parties to discussions about the future of the territory's public transit system are keeping what they know to themselves under a mutual agreement to avoid providing information to the news media.
Two key participants in the talks, United Steelworkers Union leader Luis "Tito" Morales and Turnbull administration chief labor negotiator Karen Andrews, would say only that they were meeting again Tuesday for "some serious financial discussions."
Andrews described the meeting as a continuation of discussions that began May 23, but added, "We agreed to have a news blackout until those discussions are through."
Representatives of the Public Works Department, Office of Management and Budget and other Government House officials were also expected at the Tuesday meeting.
Last week, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull approved the Legislature's appropriation of $600,000 from the Indirect Cost Fund to finance Vitran operations through the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The governor also directed Andrews to meet with union leaders to discuss their proposal for a four-day work week to further reduce operating costs.
Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. laid off 62 transit workers territorywide on May 11, a 50 percent reduction of the force. Three days earlier, he had told the Senate Labor Committee that Vitran was running at a $12.7 million loss.
Morales expressed hope that between new subsidies and cost reductions, it will be possible for all of the furloughed workers to return to their jobs. Andrews has said there is no way that this could happen. She said she expects to have some word on the outcome of the week of discussions by Thursday.

Ocean City Restaurant in Havensight was closed Tuesday by the Health Department. It is the latest of three restaurants in the immediate area to be closed for health violations. Kum Wah Restaurant and Wendy's, both at Mandela Circle, were temporarily shut down in recent months.
A release from the Health Department said that during a Tuesday inspection, environmental health director Ethlyn Joseph found only one Ocean City employee with a valid food handler card. Also, she said, areas of the kitchen needed degreasing and exterminating. According to the release, a follow-up inspection will be conducted later this week.
Simon Chang, spokesman for the Chinese restaurant in Havensight Mall, said he expected the restaurant to reopen Wednesday.
He said the restaurant has not been open for business since Friday, because a construction crew has been installing a new kitchen fan. He added that exterminators were scheduled to come to the establishment Tuesday evening. In reference to the health cards, Chang said that the other employees have valid cards but had left them "at home."
Chang, sounding untroubled, said with reference to Joseph, "I think everything will be ready for her tomorrow."