It's April 1942, and German U-boats are attacking Allied forces shipping lanes in the Atlantic up and down the East Coast. But nobody knows – at least nobody in America, except the military and the torpedoed ships.
In steps the U.S. Navy, with a daring plot to end the U-boat menace. It sets up a secret mission with a World War I submarine that's older than most of its crew. Although primitive by 1940s standards, the vessel resembles a German U-boat closely enough to be valuable in the mission.
Lt. Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) stars as an officer just passed over for his first submarine command who is now tapped as first officer on the aged sub under Lt. Cmdr. Dahlgren (Bill Paxton), the man largely responsible for Tyler not getting his command. Therein lies conflict.
A German submarine, the U-571 of the title, has become disabled. The old American sub, posing as another Nazi U-boat, is to find it and get a valuable code machine that's on board. The Germans use the machine to encrypt their radio transmissions leading them to Allied ships.
It's a "testosterone-fest of sweaty, gritty sailors shooting lots of stuff and blowing things up," according to one reviewer who took a dim view of the action. Still, action it is, and there's Harvey Keitel as Chief Klough, to boot.
The old comedy line comes to mind: "Is-a thata U-boat?" No, that'sa not-a my boat." Oh, well.
The movie was directed by Jonathan Mostow of the 1997 hit "Breäkdown." Rated PG-13 for war violence, it's new this week at Cinema One on St. Thomas and Diamond Cinemas on St. Croix.

Licensing and Consumer Affairs Department inspectors will soon be dropping by St. John's mobile food-vending vans and stands, and it won't be just to order pates. They'll be asking the owners if they pack up and move from their selling sites at night, as their permits require them to do.
LCA Commissioner Andrew Rutnik said he would, as promised at an April public hearing, have inspectors make the rounds to all food sellers operating from vans and stands. Ensuring that mobile vendors are, indeed, mobile — or else requiring them to obtain licenses as operators of permanent establishments — is a territorywide campaign, he said.
"We're still moving forward with the educational part of our enforcement," Rutnik said on Wednesday. "Later this week" on St. John, he said, "we plan to go around and ask them what they plan to do individually."
Following up on a series of public hearings introducing mobile vendors to a multi-agency compliance team, LCA agents have taken photographs of nearly 600 mobile food vendors on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. Rutnik said the pictures will be used to document each business, its location and its operating conditions. The photos will provide evidence as to which businesses are mobile and which are stationary, he said.
The commissioner recently attended a meeting of a newly formed mobile food vendors association on St. Thomas, where he heard some of the group's plans. He called the association an example of the positive results that can come from cooperation between government and small business operators. "We are very encouraged" by its formation, he said.
A number of Cruz Bay mobile vendor permit holders have signaled their willingness to comply with regulations. Some have said they would make the structural modifications and seek the necessary licenses to upgrade their businesses to restaurants and bars.
Licensing officials say even small mobile stands can qualify for permanent status by installing hot and cold running water, electricity and restroom facilities. "We're not trying to turn them into Caneel Bay," Rutnik said.
However, other vendors have said they will fight the regulations because they've done business in a given location for years without being challenged. One vendor says the government is imposing on his right to run a business on his private property.
Rutnik said he will not penalize any business owners who can show that they are in the process of complying with regulations. He emphasized that his agency does not want to put mobile food vendors out of business when collectively they do about a million dollars worth of sales a year.

It's April 1942, and German U-boats are attacking Allied shipping in the Atlantic up and down the East Coast. But nobody knows – at least nobody in America, except the military and the torpedoed ships.
In steps the U.S. Navy, with a daring plot to end the U-boat menace. It sets up a secret mission with a World War I submarine that's older than most of its crew. Although primitive by 1940s standards, the vessel resembles a German U-boat closely enough to be valuable in the mission.
Lt. Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) stars as an officer just passed over for his first submarine command who is now tapped as first officer on the aged sub under Lt. Cmdr. Dahlgren (Bill Paxton), the man largely responsible for Tyler not getting his command. Therein lies conflict.
A German submarine, the U-571 of the title, has become disabled. The old American sub, posing as another Nazi U-boat, is to find it and get a valuable code machine that's on board. The Germans use the machine to encrypt their radio transmissions leading them to Allied ships.
It's a "testosterone-fest of sweaty, gritty sailors shooting lots of stuff and blowing things up," according to one reviewer who took a dim view of the action. Still, action it is, and there's Harvey Keitel as Chief Klough, to boot.
The old comedy line comes to mind: "Is-a thata U-boat?" No, that'sa not-a my boat." Oh, well.
The movie was directed by Jonathan Mostow of the 1997 hit "Breakdown." Rated PG-13 for war violence, it's new this week at Cinema One on St. Thomas and Diamond Cinemas on St. Croix.

The St. Dunstan's Class of 1991 is planning to reunite next year for their 10th anniversary on July 15th, 2001, aboard The Enchantment Cruise Ship (of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) for a 7 day, Western Caribbean, sea excursion. Ports of call include Key West, Florida; Playa del Carmen and Cozumel Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The cruise is open to all St. Dunstan's alumni and friends; please contact Lizette Llanos, Class of 1991, at lizllanos@aol.com or (770)708-5453 for trip details.

Virgin Islands political leaders made their thoughts known to Congress Wednesday on how to clarify the process for the adoption of a local constitution.
The Resources Committee of the House of Representatives heard testimony from Virgin Islanders and Guamanians on HR 3999, legislation sponsored by committee chair Don Young (R-Alaska) to make the process for the adoption of local constitutions more efficient in the two island territories.
Delegate to Congress Donna Christian Christensen, a member of the committee, opened the hearing for the Democratic members. Also testifying were Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, Senate president Vargrave Richards, Independent Citizens Movement chair Raymond "Usie" Richards and Republican National Committee member Holland Redfield.
The main aim of enacting constitutions is to eliminate the need for the islands to come before Congress on minor issues that are best resolved locally, Young said.
"I truly believe most of your issues can be better resolved there than from here," he said. "We really shouldn't decide it."
Young said constitutional and political issues can be decided in the framework of his bill without the need for the territories to adopt their own constitutions at this time. "If you decide something at a later time, that's your business," he said.
Christensen said HR 3999 "is important because it paves the way for the elimination of this unnecessary step of having Congress act on local matters in the two remaining areas under the American flag that do not have a local constitution."
Several efforts to draft a constitution in the Virgin Islands have been unsuccessful. Constitutions called for the purpose in 1964 and 1971 failed. At a third convention, in 1978, a constitution was considered approved by Congress after that body failed to act on it within 60 days. However, the constitution was rejected by voters, as was a fourth version drafted in 1980 and approved by both Congress and President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Closely linked to the constitution issue is the political status of the Virgin Islands. In a 1982 referendum, Virgin Islanders voted to decide the territory’s relationship with the federal government before a constitution was drafted.
In 1993, a referendum was held on the territory's political relationship with the United States. Those voting chose continued or enhanced territorial status. But less than one-third of the eligible voters participated in the non-binding referendum, many staying away from the polls because they deemed it invalid.
Last year, Virgin Islanders had to petition Congress to amend the Revised Organic Act to grant borrowing authority for the local government to float a $300 million bond issue. The current issue of reducing the size of the Legislature would require similar congressional action.
In the case of the bond issue, "The amendment, which enabled the government to complete an urgently required financing in the private capital markets is itself a testament to the cause of self-government and the need for the people of the Virgin Islands, through their elected representatives, to undertake the task and responsibility of drafting our own constitution," Turnbull said Wednesday.
"If the Virgin Islands had enacted its own constitution," he added, "there would be no reason to call on Congress to extend its time and attention on such an amendment to the Revised Organic Act."
Vargrave Richards testified that he supports HR3999 but is concerned that it would eliminate the time frame by which Congress would have to act on a proposed constitution transmitted by the President of the United States. He suggested "that this committee consider the inclusion of a reasonable time frame for congressional action on a constitution."
Raymond Richards noted that the bill would not jeopardize "the right of self-determination regarding the ultimate political status of the Virgin Islands." But he expressed a "fundamental concern" about "who shall have the right to draft and vote on. . . a constitution or political status for the people of the Virgin Islands."
Redfield said the creation of a constitution and bill of rights is "long overdue for the Virgin Islands." He described as divisive past attempts which focused on who is a Virgin Islander and who could vote on a proposed constitution.
A constitution would have to pass muster in the House to make sure it is consistent with the sovereignty of the United States; that it provides for a republican form of government consisting of executive, legislative, and judicial branches; that it contains a bill of rights; and that it provides for the establishment of municipal or county government, according to the bill now before Congress.

Virgin Islands political leaders made their thoughts known to Congress Wednesday on how to clarify the process for the adoption of a local constitution.
The Resources Committee of the House of Representatives heard testimony from Virgin Islanders and Guamanians on HR 3999, legislation sponsored by committee chair Don Young (R-Alaska) to make the process for the adoption of local constitutions more efficient in the two island territories.
Delegate to Congress Donna Christian Christensen, a member of the committee, opened the hearing for the Democratic members. Also testifying were Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, Senate president Vargrave Richards, Independent Citizens Movement chair Raymond "Usie" Richards and Republican National Committee member Holland Redfield.
The main aim of enacting constitutions is to eliminate the need for the islands to come before Congress on minor issues that are best resolved locally, Young said.
"I truly believe most of your issues can be better resolved there than from here," he said. "We really shouldn't decide it."
Young said constitutional and political issues can be decided in the framework of his bill without the need for the territories to adopt their own constitutions at this time. "If you decide something at a later time, that's your business," he said.
Christensen said HR 3999 "is important because it paves the way for the elimination of this unnecessary step of having Congress act on local matters in the two remaining areas under the American flag that do not have a local constitution."
Several efforts to draft a constitution in the Virgin Islands have been unsuccessful. Constitutions called for the purpose in 1964 and 1971 failed. At a third convention, in 1978, a constitution was considered approved by Congress after that body failed to act on it within 60 days. However, the constitution was rejected by voters, as was a fourth version drafted in 1980 and approved by both Congress and President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Closely linked to the constitution issue is the political status of the Virgin Islands. In a 1982 referendum, Virgin Islanders voted to decide the territory’s relationship with the federal government before a constitution was drafted.
In 1993, a referendum was held on the territory's political relationship with the United States. Those voting chose continued or enhanced territorial status. But less than one-third of the eligible voters participated in the poll, deeming the results invalid, according to Turnbull.
Last year, Virgin Islanders had to petition Congress to amend the Revised Organic Act to grant borrowing authority for the local government to float a $300 million bond issue. The current issue of reducing the size of the Legislature would require similar congressional action.
In the case of the bond issue, "The amendment, which enabled the government to complete an urgently required financing in the private capital markets is itself a testament to the cause of self-government and the need for the people of the Virgin Islands, through their elected representatives, to undertake the task and responsibility of drafting our own constitution," Turnbull said Wednesday.
"If the Virgin Islands had enacted its own constitution," he added, "there would be no reason to call on Congress to extend its time and attention on such an amendment to the Revised Organic Act."
Vargrave Richards testified that he supports HR3999 but is concerned that it would eliminate the time frame by which Congress would have to act on a proposed constitution transmitted by the President of the United States. He suggested "that this committee consider the inclusion of a reasonable time frame for congressional action on a constitution."
Raymond Richards noted that the bill would not jeopardize "the right of self-determination regarding the ultimate political status of the Virgin Islands." But he expressed a "fundamental concern" about "who shall have the right to draft and vote on. . . a constitution or political status for the people of the Virgin Islands."
Redfield said the creation of a constitution and bill of rights is "long overdue for the Virgin Islands." He described as divisive past attempts which focused on who is a Virgin Islander and who could vote on a proposed constitution.
A constitution would have to pass muster in the House to make sure it is consistent with the sovereignty of the United States; that it provides for a republican form of government consisting of executive, legislative, and judicial branches; that it contains a bill of rights; and that it provides for the establishment of municipal or county government, according to the bill now before Congress.

Senators were confronted with yet another problem-plagued government program Wednesday when staff and management of the Youth Rehabilitation Center testified before the Committee on Youth and Human Services on St. Croix.
While YRC employees recited the usual shortfalls plaguing most government agencies — staffing shortages, deteriorating facilities and a lack of training and equipment — they also told of questionable management practices and day-to-day operations that border on the illegal.
Stephanie Williams, a lieutenant at the YRC, told of breached security procedures, dangerous facilities and instances where wards who are being held for minor infractions, called "persons in need of supervision, or PINS," were housed with "hard-core criminals."
"YRC is a tragedy," Williams said. "It is sorry for any parent to have a child at YRC."
She said some PINS were shackled and held in lock-down, which is a violation of federal law. And on more than one occasion, wards in the YRC’s furlough program have failed to return to the facility. In one instance, she said, staff stopped looking for a youth once he turned 18.
While Youth Rehabilitation Center employees recited the usual shortfalls plaguing most government agencies — staffing shortages, deteriorating facilities and a lack of training and equipment — they also told senators of questionable management practices and day-to-day operations that border on the illegal.
Even David Molloy, YRC supervisor, who bore the brunt of Williams’ criticism, agreed that the facility was in dire need of help. He said it does not function as a rehabilitation center, because it lacks basic treatment and counseling services. Conditions at the facility also need to be addressed, he said.
"The physical plant is really, really a trap," Molloy said.
Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste said wards are often forced to relieve themselves in the corner of their cells in the middle of the night because of a lack of bathroom facilities and guards who don’t always respond promptly to their calls.
On a visit to the YRC facility, located in Estate Anna’s Hope on St. Croix, Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole said he saw three female wards in a cell with two beds. The third youth, a 14-year-old girl, had a bedroll laid out on the floor under one of the beds.
Meanwhile, Human Services Commissioner Sedonie Halbert said pre-trial juveniles such as PINS facing contempt of court orders, adjudicated juveniles, and both pre-trial and sentenced youths — including those tried or to be tried as adults — are all held together.
Additionally, she said, the YRC, designed to house 27 male adolescents, is now housing 56 young people, 20 percent of them female.
To alleviate overcrowding, Halbert said, the department is set to use some $1.3 million in federal funds to construct a new facility next to the old Anna’s Hope center. Such an arrangement would help in separating PINS from hardened criminals, she said.
The current facility "isn’t constructed for youths who have committed hard-core crimes," she said. "It’s not a lock-down facility."
Halbert promised senators that she will try to meet with Attorney General Iver Stridiron to work out a plan to end the co-mingling of non-violent and violent youths.
Youth and Human Services Committee chair Judy Gomez said she would schedule another hearing in about two months to get a status update on conditions at the facility.
"We should have some positive things to report on how we’re progressing," she said.

Senators were confronted with yet another problem-plagued government program Wednesday when staff and management of the Youth Rehabilitation Center testified before the Committee on Youth and Human Services on St. Croix.
While YRC employees recited the usual shortfalls plaguing most government agencies — staffing shortages, deteriorating facilities and a lack of training and equipment — they also told of questionable management practices and day-to-day operations that border on the illegal.
Stephanie Williams, a lieutenant at the YRC, told of breached security procedures, dangerous facilities and instances where wards who are being held for minor infractions, called "persons in need of supervision, or PINS," were housed with "hard-core criminals."
"YRC is a tragedy," Williams said. "It is sorry for any parent to have a child at YRC."
She said some PINS were shackled and held in lock-down, which is a violation of federal law. And on more than one occasion, wards in the YRC’s furlough program have failed to return to the facility. In one instance, she said, staff stopped looking for a youth once he turned 18.
Even David Molloy, YRC supervisor, who bore the brunt of Williams’ criticism, agreed that the facility was in dire need of help. He said it does not function as a rehabilitation center, because it lacks basic treatment and counseling services. Conditions at the facility also need to be addressed, he said.
"The physical plant is really, really a trap," Molloy said.
Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste said wards are often forced to relieve themselves in the corner of their cells in the middle of the night because of a lack of bathroom facilities and guards who don’t always respond promptly to their calls.
On a visit to the YRC facility, located in Estate Anna’s Hope on St. Croix, Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole said he saw three female wards in a cell with two beds. The third youth, a 14-year-old girl, had a bedroll laid out on the floor under one of the beds.
Meanwhile, Human Services Commissioner Sedonie Halbert said pre-trial juveniles such as PINS facing contempt of court orders, adjudicated juveniles, and both pre-trial and sentenced youths — including those tried or to be tried as adults — are all held together.
Additionally, she said, the YRC, designed to house 27 male adolescents, is now housing 56 young people, 20 percent of them female.
To alleviate overcrowding, Halbert said, the department is set to use some $1.3 million in federal funds to construct a new facility next to the old Anna’s Hope center. Such an arrangement would help in separating PINS from hardened criminals, she said.
The current facility "isn’t constructed for youths who have committed hard-core crimes," she said. "It’s not a lock-down facility."
Halbert promised senators that she will try to meet with Attorney General Iver Stridiron to work out a plan to end the co-mingling of non-violent and violent youths.
Youth and Human Services Committee chair Judy Gomez said she would schedule another hearing in about two months to get a status update on conditions at the facility.
"We should have some positive things to report on how we’re progressing," she said.

Senators were confronted with yet another problem-plagued government program Wednesday when staff and management of the Youth Rehabilitation Center testified before the Committee on Youth and Human Services on St. Croix.
While YRC employees recited the usual shortfalls plaguing most government agencies — staffing shortages, deteriorating facilities and a lack of training and equipment — they also told of questionable management practices and day-to-day operations that border on the illegal.
Stephanie Williams, a lieutenant at the YRC, told of breached security procedures, dangerous facilities and instances where wards who are being held for minor infractions, called "persons in need of supervision, or PINS," were housed with "hard-core criminals."
"YRC is a tragedy," Williams said. "It is sorry for any parent to have a child at YRC."
She said some PINS were shackled and held in lock-down, which is a violation of federal law. And on more than one occasion, wards in the YRC’s furlough program have failed to return to the facility. In one instance, she said, staff stopped looking for a youth once he turned 18.
While Youth Rehabilitation Center employees recited the usual shortfalls plaguing most government agencies — staffing shortages, deteriorating facilities and a lack of training and equipment — they also told senators of questionable management practices and day-to-day operations that border on the illegal.
Even David Molloy, YRC supervisor, who bore the brunt of Williams’ criticism, agreed that the facility was in dire need of help. He said it does not function as a rehabilitation center, because it lacks basic treatment and counseling services. Conditions at the facility also need to be addressed, he said.
"The physical plant is really, really a trap," Molloy said.
Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste said wards are often forced to relieve themselves in the corner of their cells in the middle of the night because of a lack of bathroom facilities and guards who don’t always respond promptly to their calls.
On a visit to the YRC facility, located in Estate Anna’s Hope on St. Croix, Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole said he saw three female wards in a cell with two beds. The third youth, a 14-year-old girl, had a bedroll laid out on the floor under one of the beds.
Meanwhile, Human Services Commissioner Sedonie Halbert said pre-trial juveniles such as PINS facing contempt of court orders, adjudicated juveniles, and both pre-trial and sentenced youths — including those tried or to be tried as adults — are all held together.
Additionally, she said, the YRC, designed to house 27 male adolescents, is now housing 56 young people, 20 percent of them female.
To alleviate overcrowding, Halbert said, the department is set to use some $1.3 million in federal funds to construct a new facility next to the old Anna’s Hope center. Such an arrangement would help in separating PINS from hardened criminals, she said.
The current facility "isn’t constructed for youths who have committed hard-core crimes," she said. "It’s not a lock-down facility."
Halbert promised senators that she will try to meet with Attorney General Iver Stridiron to work out a plan to end the co-mingling of non-violent and violent youths.
Youth and Human Services Committee chair Judy Gomez said she would schedule another hearing in about two months to get a status update on conditions at the facility.
"We should have some positive things to report on how we’re progressing," she said.

There were no buses rolling on St. John on Wednesday, six days after the island's 10 transit workers were all laid off as part of the Public Works Department's cutting of the Vitran work force in half territorywide.
And on St. Croix, where about 30 Vitran workers were laid off last week, it appeared that, as of Wednesday, only three buses were in operation on the island.
Figures were not immediately available for St. Thomas, but authorities had said earlier that five buses were on the road.
Meantime, the head of one of the unions representing the public transit workers said Wednesday that the government has violated its contract with the Vitran workers by unilaterally suspending all scheduled leave, including vacations.
Luis "Tito" Morales, president of the United Steelworkers Union local, which represents Vitran workers on St. Thomas and St. John, expressed outrage Wednesday at a memo put out two days earlier by Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. "I received a memo from Harold Thompson dated the 15th of May saying he is suspending all leave, including all vacation leave," he said. "And that goes against the contract."
Thompson and Karen Andrews, the government's chief negotiator, have cited a rise in absenteeism within the pared-down Vitran work force. With St. John's transit services now in the hands of St. Thomas drivers, the dispute over authorized leave may continue to impact public transit on the smaller island.
Thompson couldn't be reached Wednesday for comment on the status of the buses or on whether drivers were calling in sick. Mandrew said he was "not aware" of any sickout on St. Croix.
Because Vitran service on St. John just began in 1997, the employees hired for St. John had some of the least seniority in the union. So, when Turnbull administration officials decided to reduce the public transit work force by 62, the whole St. John crew was among the first to be laid off.
In announcing the coming layoffs several weeks ago, Thompson had said the cutbacks in personnel would reduce the number of buses serving St. Croix to five from seven and shrink the daily hours of operation to 14 from 16.
But as of Wednesday, Ralph Mandrew, president of the V.I. Workers Union, which represents Vitran employees on St. Croix, said, "The five buses they committed aren't running. There are three buses as far as I know."
Administration officials said the layoffs and cuts in service were needed because fare box revenues could not cover salaries, benefits, parts, fuel and other expenses of operating the public transit service. Vitran is approximately $12 million in the red despite V.I. government subsidies of $1.8 million per district. The officials note that the government is mandated to provide additional routes on St. John and to operate transportation for the disabled under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, but these operations are unfunded.
Union leaders, meanwhile, say Vitran is foundering because of Public Works mismanagement. Mandrew said the current situation of fewer buses on the road than what was promised is a case in point.
"The question is," he said, "is the management sincere?"
Residents and workers in Cruz Bay stood at the roadside Wednesday trying to catch rides from passing motorists. One man standing near the Starfish Market said he had arrived on the 10 a.m. ferry from St. Thomas hoping to hop a bus for a quick trip to work in Coral Bay. Having met the unpleasant surprise of no bus service, he said he would be getting to work very late.
"It's unfair," he said.
Roberts had said she hoped to have the system back in smooth running order by the start of this week. But scheduling a commuting work force from St. Thomas and having to deal with the lack of a mechanic to service the St. John buses have posed serious setbacks.
Two of the laid-off St. John drivers are being kept on stand-by to substitute for late- arriving or no-show drivers drivers from St. Thomas. But it was mechanical problems that kept the sole bus scheduled to be in service on Wednesday parked instead in the Public Works yard at Gifft Hill.
"St. John is not working," Roberts said flatly Wednesday. "And it will not work as long as we don't have a mechanic."