The direct deposit of V.I. government retirees' checks has been delayed until Wednesday, Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull announced Monday.
According to a Government House release, the delay resulted from "a delayed transmittal to the bank's retirees account." Those wishing more information are asked to telephone payroll director William Belardo at 774-4750.
NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY, IT'S POLICE WEEK
In observance of National Police Week, the Police Department has scheduled activities through Sunday in the St. Thomas-St. John District.
On Tuesday, Crime Prevention Bureau officers will visit schools and a display will be open to public viewing in Emancipation Garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Wednesday, a police awards luncheon will be held at Walker's By the Sea.
On Thursday, an open house will take place at the Patrick Sweeney Headquarters on St. John from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And a law-enforcement fun night will be held on St. Thomas beginning at 7 p.m. in a park to be announced.
On Saturday, a talent show and dance will get under way at Coral World at 7 p.m.
On Sunday, a beach party will be held at Lindqvist Beach beginning at 3 p.m.
The week's observances began with a worship service Sunday morning at Word of Faith Church and a parade Monday morning from Western Cemetery to Emancipation Garden, where a ceremony took place.
On Tuesday, Crime Prevention Bureau officers will visit schools and a display will be open to public viewing in Emancipation Garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Wednesday, a police awards luncheon will be held at Walker's By the Sea.
On Thursday, an open house will take place at the Patrick Sweeney Headquarters on St. John from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And a law-enforcement fun night will be held on St. Thomas beginning at 7 p.m. in a park to be announced.
On Saturday, a talent show and dance will get under way at Coral World at 7 p.m.
On Sunday, a beach party will be held at Lindqvist Beach beginning at 3 p.m.
The week's observances began with a worship service Sunday morning at Word of Faith Church and a parade Monday morning from Western Cemetery to Emancipation Garden, where a ceremony took place.
CENSUS-TAKERS ARE HALFWAY THERE
If nobody from the V.I. Census Office has come by to pick up your questionnaire yet, don't be concerned. They're working on it.
The process of counting the projected 40,000-plus households in the territory is perhaps half completed, Census 2000 manager Frank Mills said Monday. But that, he stressed, is a "cautious, very cautious" estimate.
"It would be a little premature to announce any figures right now," Mills said. He added, however, that he is "extremely pleased" with the results so far. This is the first year the territory has distributed questionnaires by mail. Census enumerators are in the process of going door to door collecting the completed forms.
"I think we are a little more sophisticated than Washington gave us credit for," Mills said. "We are doing very well in comparison to the states, where only 66 percent of the mailed-out questionnaires have been returned." There, respondents are to return their completed forms by mail, too. Puerto Rico this year went from having house-to-house enumerators to having people mail in the questionnaires, and the response rate reportedly has been disappointingly low.
Some areas within the territory have posed unique challenges to those in charge of picking up the forms. For instance, how do you reach the people living on boats who are not tied up at a marina? The answer is by dinghy, going boat by boat, and employing members of the boating community to do the counting.
The many moorings and anchorages off all four islands present a challenge, Mills said, but the census takers are making headway. "We try to hire people from the different areas to work with their own particular groups," he noted.
Another example of this is the use of Hispanic enumerators to work within the Hispanic community, Mills said, in an effort to alleviate the fears of many non-U.S. citizens with regard to being documented. "It is important that the Latin community understand that we are not the Immigration service, nor are we connected with the Labor Department," he said. Public relations outreach for the V.I. Census has emphasized that all information provided in the questionnaires is confidential, and no other government or private office will have access to it.
Other than locked gates, no-shows for appointments, unfriendly dogs and other such impediments to collecting the completed forms, Mills said, the process by and large is "going very smoothly."
Two important steps in the census process previously carried out on the mainland are being performed in the territory for the first time, he said.
One is "editing" the information in the questionnaires for clarity and consistency. For instance, there's something wrong if a respondent checks off having had three children and the respondent is a man. Or — and these things do happen, Mills said — employment and salary figures are reported for a 5-year-old. About 10 workers each on St. Thomas and St. Croix are editing 500 to 600 questionnaires daily to weed out these responses, he said.
The other function being carried out locally for the first time is coding the responses for computer processing. The territory has about 400 census takers working now, Mills said, and by next Monday another 15 will be on board to do coding. After battling with the U.S. Census Bureau, Mills said, he has finally arranged to have the coding done in the territory where "we are more familiar with the information." Each response to each question must be coded.
A lot of people have contacted him asking that the definition "native Virgin Islander" be included as an option in the census question on racial identity, Mills said. It is not listed as an option, but respondents can write that definition in under "other" — and also list multiple ethnic identities if they desire.
Another challenge, Mills said with a sigh, is the age-old problem of just where someone lives in the Virgin Islands. Street numbers aren't consistent, and "down the corner by the tamarind tree" won't do.
He said that by the next census, in 2010, he hopes to see the post office box records showing the street addresses of the boxholders, which would make life easier for everybody. Local street addresses have posed problems for Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel searching out disaster assistance grant applicants after storms, he noted.
At some point in the counting, Mills said, those persons who haven't been contacted by a census representative will be asked to get in touch on their own with the V.I. Census office in their district. He said he hopes the field work will be completed by the end of August. "But, you can't tell," he added. "If there should be a storm, we don't have the luxury of waiting until next year. We'll just have to keep on."
The process of counting the projected 40,000-plus households in the territory is perhaps half completed, Census 2000 manager Frank Mills said Monday. But that, he stressed, is a "cautious, very cautious" estimate.
"It would be a little premature to announce any figures right now," Mills said. He added, however, that he is "extremely pleased" with the results so far. This is the first year the territory has distributed questionnaires by mail. Census enumerators are in the process of going door to door collecting the completed forms.
"I think we are a little more sophisticated than Washington gave us credit for," Mills said. "We are doing very well in comparison to the states, where only 66 percent of the mailed-out questionnaires have been returned." There, respondents are to return their completed forms by mail, too. Puerto Rico this year went from having house-to-house enumerators to having people mail in the questionnaires, and the response rate reportedly has been disappointingly low.
Some areas within the territory have posed unique challenges to those in charge of picking up the forms. For instance, how do you reach the people living on boats who are not tied up at a marina? The answer is by dinghy, going boat by boat, and employing members of the boating community to do the counting.
The many moorings and anchorages off all four islands present a challenge, Mills said, but the census takers are making headway. "We try to hire people from the different areas to work with their own particular groups," he noted.
Another example of this is the use of Hispanic enumerators to work within the Hispanic community, Mills said, in an effort to alleviate the fears of many non-U.S. citizens with regard to being documented. "It is important that the Latin community understand that we are not the Immigration service, nor are we connected with the Labor Department," he said. Public relations outreach for the V.I. Census has emphasized that all information provided in the questionnaires is confidential, and no other government or private office will have access to it.
Other than locked gates, no-shows for appointments, unfriendly dogs and other such impediments to collecting the completed forms, Mills said, the process by and large is "going very smoothly."
Two important steps in the census process previously carried out on the mainland are being performed in the territory for the first time, he said.
One is "editing" the information in the questionnaires for clarity and consistency. For instance, there's something wrong if a respondent checks off having had three children and the respondent is a man. Or — and these things do happen, Mills said — employment and salary figures are reported for a 5-year-old. About 10 workers each on St. Thomas and St. Croix are editing 500 to 600 questionnaires daily to weed out these responses, he said.
The other function being carried out locally for the first time is coding the responses for computer processing. The territory has about 400 census takers working now, Mills said, and by next Monday another 15 will be on board to do coding. After battling with the U.S. Census Bureau, Mills said, he has finally arranged to have the coding done in the territory where "we are more familiar with the information." Each response to each question must be coded.
A lot of people have contacted him asking that the definition "native Virgin Islander" be included as an option in the census question on racial identity, Mills said. It is not listed as an option, but respondents can write that definition in under "other" — and also list multiple ethnic identities if they desire.
Another challenge, Mills said with a sigh, is the age-old problem of just where someone lives in the Virgin Islands. Street numbers aren't consistent, and "down the corner by the tamarind tree" won't do.
He said that by the next census, in 2010, he hopes to see the post office box records showing the street addresses of the boxholders, which would make life easier for everybody. Local street addresses have posed problems for Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel searching out disaster assistance grant applicants after storms, he noted.
At some point in the counting, Mills said, those persons who haven't been contacted by a census representative will be asked to get in touch on their own with the V.I. Census office in their district. He said he hopes the field work will be completed by the end of August. "But, you can't tell," he added. "If there should be a storm, we don't have the luxury of waiting until next year. We'll just have to keep on."
CENSUS TAKING IS AT ABOUT THE HALF-WAY POINT
If nobody from the V.I. Census Office has come by to pick up your questionnaire yet, don't be concerned. They're working on it.
The process of counting the projected 40,000-plus households in the territory is perhaps half completed, Census 2000 manager Frank Mills said Monday. But that, he stressed, is a "cautious, very cautious" estimate.
"It would be a little premature to announce any figures right now," Mills said. He added, however, that he is "extremely pleased" with the results so far. This is the first year the territory has distributed questionnaires by mail. Census enumerators are in the process of going door to door collecting the completed forms.
"I think we are a little more sophisticated than Washington gave us credit for," Mills said. "We are doing very well in comparison to the states, where only 66 percent of the mailed-out questionnaires have been returned." There, respondents are to return their completed forms by mail, too. Puerto Rico this year went from having house-to-house enumerators to having people mail in the questionnaires, and the response rate reportedly has been disappointingly low.
Some areas within the territory have posed unique challenges to those in charge of picking up the forms. For instance, how do you reach the people living on boats who are not tied up at a marina? The answer is by dinghy, going boat by boat, and employing members of the boating community to do the counting.
The many moorings and anchorages off all four islands present a challenge, Mills said, but the census takers are making headway. "We try to hire people from the different areas to work with their own particular groups," he noted.
Another example of this is the use of Hispanic enumerators to work within the Hispanic community, Mills said, in an effort to alleviate the fears of many non-U.S. citizens with regard to being documented. "It is important that the Latin community understand that we are not the Immigration service, nor are we connected with the Labor Department," he said. Public relations outreach for the V.I. Census has emphasized that all information provided in the questionnaires is confidential, and no other government or private office will have access to it.
Other than locked gates, no-shows for appointments, unfriendly dogs and other such impediments to collecting the completed forms, Mills said, the process by and large is "going very smoothly."
Two important steps in the census process previously carried out on the mainland are being performed in the territory for the first time, he said.
One is "editing" the information in the questionnaires for clarity and consistency. For instance, there's something wrong if a respondent checks off having had three children and the respondent is a man. Or — and these things do happen, Mills said — employment and salary figures are reported for a 5-year-old. About 10 workers each on St. Thomas and St. Croix are editing 500 to 600 questionnaires daily to weed out these responses, he said.
The other function being carried out locally for the first time is coding the responses for computer processing. The territory has about 400 census takers working now, Mills said, and by next Monday another 15 will be on board to do coding. After battling with the U.S. Census Bureau, Mills said, he has finally arranged to have the coding done in the territory where "we are more familiar with the information." Each response to each question must be coded.
A lot of people have contacted him asking that the definition "native Virgin Islander" be included as an option in the census question on racial identity, Mills said. It is not listed as an option, but respondents can write that definition in under "other" — and also list multiple ethnic identities if they desire.
Another challenge, Mills said with a sigh, is the age-old problem of just where someone lives in the Virgin Islands. Street numbers aren't consistent, and "down the corner by the tamarind tree" won't do.
He said that by the next census, in 2010, he hopes to see the post office box records showing the street addresses of the boxholders, which would make life easier for everybody. Local street addresses have posed problems for Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel searching out disaster assistance grant applicants after storms, he noted.
At some point in the counting, Mills said, those persons who haven't been contacted by a census representative will be asked to get in touch on their own with the V.I. Census office in their district. He said he hopes the field work will be completed by the end of August. "But, you can't tell," he added. "If there should be a storm, we don't have the luxury of waiting until next year. We'll just have to keep on."
The process of counting the projected 40,000-plus households in the territory is perhaps half completed, Census 2000 manager Frank Mills said Monday. But that, he stressed, is a "cautious, very cautious" estimate.
"It would be a little premature to announce any figures right now," Mills said. He added, however, that he is "extremely pleased" with the results so far. This is the first year the territory has distributed questionnaires by mail. Census enumerators are in the process of going door to door collecting the completed forms.
"I think we are a little more sophisticated than Washington gave us credit for," Mills said. "We are doing very well in comparison to the states, where only 66 percent of the mailed-out questionnaires have been returned." There, respondents are to return their completed forms by mail, too. Puerto Rico this year went from having house-to-house enumerators to having people mail in the questionnaires, and the response rate reportedly has been disappointingly low.
Some areas within the territory have posed unique challenges to those in charge of picking up the forms. For instance, how do you reach the people living on boats who are not tied up at a marina? The answer is by dinghy, going boat by boat, and employing members of the boating community to do the counting.
The many moorings and anchorages off all four islands present a challenge, Mills said, but the census takers are making headway. "We try to hire people from the different areas to work with their own particular groups," he noted.
Another example of this is the use of Hispanic enumerators to work within the Hispanic community, Mills said, in an effort to alleviate the fears of many non-U.S. citizens with regard to being documented. "It is important that the Latin community understand that we are not the Immigration service, nor are we connected with the Labor Department," he said. Public relations outreach for the V.I. Census has emphasized that all information provided in the questionnaires is confidential, and no other government or private office will have access to it.
Other than locked gates, no-shows for appointments, unfriendly dogs and other such impediments to collecting the completed forms, Mills said, the process by and large is "going very smoothly."
Two important steps in the census process previously carried out on the mainland are being performed in the territory for the first time, he said.
One is "editing" the information in the questionnaires for clarity and consistency. For instance, there's something wrong if a respondent checks off having had three children and the respondent is a man. Or — and these things do happen, Mills said — employment and salary figures are reported for a 5-year-old. About 10 workers each on St. Thomas and St. Croix are editing 500 to 600 questionnaires daily to weed out these responses, he said.
The other function being carried out locally for the first time is coding the responses for computer processing. The territory has about 400 census takers working now, Mills said, and by next Monday another 15 will be on board to do coding. After battling with the U.S. Census Bureau, Mills said, he has finally arranged to have the coding done in the territory where "we are more familiar with the information." Each response to each question must be coded.
A lot of people have contacted him asking that the definition "native Virgin Islander" be included as an option in the census question on racial identity, Mills said. It is not listed as an option, but respondents can write that definition in under "other" — and also list multiple ethnic identities if they desire.
Another challenge, Mills said with a sigh, is the age-old problem of just where someone lives in the Virgin Islands. Street numbers aren't consistent, and "down the corner by the tamarind tree" won't do.
He said that by the next census, in 2010, he hopes to see the post office box records showing the street addresses of the boxholders, which would make life easier for everybody. Local street addresses have posed problems for Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel searching out disaster assistance grant applicants after storms, he noted.
At some point in the counting, Mills said, those persons who haven't been contacted by a census representative will be asked to get in touch on their own with the V.I. Census office in their district. He said he hopes the field work will be completed by the end of August. "But, you can't tell," he added. "If there should be a storm, we don't have the luxury of waiting until next year. We'll just have to keep on."
CANES TOP IGUANAS IN JV BASEBALL
The Antilles Hurricanes beat the Addelita Cancryn Iguanas 9-6 in junior varsity baseball action Monday afternoon.
The Hurricanes improved their record to 2-2 as the Iguanas lost their first game of the season. The defeat dropped the Iguanas to 2-1 and into a first-place tie with the Charlotte Amalie Chicken Hawks.
While Hurricanes pitcher Luke Neely struck out two Iguanas hitters, he kept them off stride. He tossed only 62 pitches though four innings. Neely also looked like perennial Atlanta Braves Gold Glove winner Greg Maddux, helping himself in the field with six assists.
The Iguanas did come back with a big rally in the bottom of the fifth. Eleven Iguanas came to the plate helped by two costly Hurricanes errors. Neely hit one batter and walked another. The Iguanas scored five runs to cut the Hurricane lead to 8-6.
Iguanas starting pitcher Marcus Richards only managed to get five outs, allowing five runs. A dropped pop-up by Richards in the second inning broke his concentration and he never regained his composure.
However, Richards' offense was outstanding. He went two-for-three with his only out coming on a great play in the hole that Hurricane shortstop Bo Nichols gloved. Hurricanes catcher Raheem Petersen also had a good offensive performance, going perfect at the plate in two appearances.
For the Hurricanes, first baseman Preston Harlow had three hits in four appearances. Neely also helped his own cause with two hits.
The Hurricanes improved their record to 2-2 as the Iguanas lost their first game of the season. The defeat dropped the Iguanas to 2-1 and into a first-place tie with the Charlotte Amalie Chicken Hawks.
While Hurricanes pitcher Luke Neely struck out two Iguanas hitters, he kept them off stride. He tossed only 62 pitches though four innings. Neely also looked like perennial Atlanta Braves Gold Glove winner Greg Maddux, helping himself in the field with six assists.
The Iguanas did come back with a big rally in the bottom of the fifth. Eleven Iguanas came to the plate helped by two costly Hurricanes errors. Neely hit one batter and walked another. The Iguanas scored five runs to cut the Hurricane lead to 8-6.
Iguanas starting pitcher Marcus Richards only managed to get five outs, allowing five runs. A dropped pop-up by Richards in the second inning broke his concentration and he never regained his composure.
However, Richards' offense was outstanding. He went two-for-three with his only out coming on a great play in the hole that Hurricane shortstop Bo Nichols gloved. Hurricanes catcher Raheem Petersen also had a good offensive performance, going perfect at the plate in two appearances.
For the Hurricanes, first baseman Preston Harlow had three hits in four appearances. Neely also helped his own cause with two hits.
CENSUS TAKING IS AT ABOUT THE HALF-WAY POINT
If nobody from the V.I. Census Office has come by to pick up your questionnaire yet, don't be concerned. They're working on it.
The process of counting the projected 40,000-plus households in the territory is perhaps half completed, Census 2000 manager Frank Mills said Monday. But that, he stressed, is a "cautious, very cautious" estimate.
"It would be a little premature to announce any figures right now," Mills said. He added, however, that he is "extremely pleased" with the results so far. This is the first year the territory has distributed questionnaires by mail. Census enumerators are in the process of going door to door collecting the completed forms.
"I think we are a little more sophisticated than Washington gave us credit for," Mills said. "We are doing very well in comparison to the states, where only 66 percent of the mailed-out questionnaires have been returned." There, respondents are to return their completed forms by mail, too. Puerto Rico this year went from having house-to-house enumerators to having people mail in the questionnaires, and the response rate reportedly has been disappointingly low.
Some areas within the territory have posed unique challenges to those in charge of picking up the forms. For instance, how do you reach the people living on boats who are not tied up at a marina? The answer is by dinghy, going boat by boat, and employing members of the boating community to do the counting.
The many moorings and anchorages off all four islands present a challenge, Mills said, but the census takers are making headway. "We try to hire people from the different areas to work with their own particular groups," he noted.
Another example of this is the use of Hispanic enumerators to work within the Hispanic community, Mills said, in an effort to alleviate the fears of many non-U.S. citizens with regard to being documented. "It is important that the Latin community understand that we are not the Immigration service, nor are we connected with the Labor Department," he said. Public relations outreach for the V.I. Census has emphasized that all information provided in the questionnaires is confidential, and no other government or private office will have access to it.
Other than locked gates, no-shows for appointments, unfriendly dogs and other such impediments to collecting the completed forms, Mills said, the process by and large is "going very smoothly."
Two important steps in the census process previously carried out on the mainland are being performed in the territory for the first time, he said.
One is "editing" the information in the questionnaires for clarity and consistency. For instance, there's something wrong if a respondent checks off having had three children and the respondent is a man. Or — and these things do happen, Mills said — employment and salary figures are reported for a 5-year-old. About 10 workers each on St. Thomas and St. Croix are editing 500 to 600 questionnaires daily to weed out these responses, he said.
The other function being carried out locally for the first time is coding the responses for computer processing. The territory has about 400 census takers working now, Mills said, and by next Monday another 15 will be on board to do coding. After battling with the U.S. Census Bureau, Mills said, he has finally arranged to have the coding done in the territory where "we are more familiar with the information." Each response to each question must be coded.
A lot of people have contacted him asking that the definition "native Virgin Islander" be included as an option in the census question on racial identity, Mills said. It is not listed as an option, but respondents can write that definition in under "other" — and also list multiple ethnic identities if they desire.
Another challenge, Mills said with a sigh, is the age-old problem of just where someone lives in the Virgin Islands. Street numbers aren't consistent, and "down the corner by the tamarind tree" won't do.
He said that by the next census, in 2010, he hopes to see the post office box records showing the street addresses of the boxholders, which would make life easier for everybody. Local street addresses have posed problems for Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel searching out disaster assistance grant applicants after storms, he noted.
At some point in the counting, Mills said, those persons who haven't been contacted by a census representative will be asked to get in touch on their own with the V.I. Census office in their district. He said he hopes the field work will be completed by the end of August. "But, you can't tell," he added. "If there should be a storm, we don't have the luxury of waiting until next year. We'll just have to keep on."
The process of counting the projected 40,000-plus households in the territory is perhaps half completed, Census 2000 manager Frank Mills said Monday. But that, he stressed, is a "cautious, very cautious" estimate.
"It would be a little premature to announce any figures right now," Mills said. He added, however, that he is "extremely pleased" with the results so far. This is the first year the territory has distributed questionnaires by mail. Census enumerators are in the process of going door to door collecting the completed forms.
"I think we are a little more sophisticated than Washington gave us credit for," Mills said. "We are doing very well in comparison to the states, where only 66 percent of the mailed-out questionnaires have been returned." There, respondents are to return their completed forms by mail, too. Puerto Rico this year went from having house-to-house enumerators to having people mail in the questionnaires, and the response rate reportedly has been disappointingly low.
Some areas within the territory have posed unique challenges to those in charge of picking up the forms. For instance, how do you reach the people living on boats who are not tied up at a marina? The answer is by dinghy, going boat by boat, and employing members of the boating community to do the counting.
The many moorings and anchorages off all four islands present a challenge, Mills said, but the census takers are making headway. "We try to hire people from the different areas to work with their own particular groups," he noted.
Another example of this is the use of Hispanic enumerators to work within the Hispanic community, Mills said, in an effort to alleviate the fears of many non-U.S. citizens with regard to being documented. "It is important that the Latin community understand that we are not the Immigration service, nor are we connected with the Labor Department," he said. Public relations outreach for the V.I. Census has emphasized that all information provided in the questionnaires is confidential, and no other government or private office will have access to it.
Other than locked gates, no-shows for appointments, unfriendly dogs and other such impediments to collecting the completed forms, Mills said, the process by and large is "going very smoothly."
Two important steps in the census process previously carried out on the mainland are being performed in the territory for the first time, he said.
One is "editing" the information in the questionnaires for clarity and consistency. For instance, there's something wrong if a respondent checks off having had three children and the respondent is a man. Or — and these things do happen, Mills said — employment and salary figures are reported for a 5-year-old. About 10 workers each on St. Thomas and St. Croix are editing 500 to 600 questionnaires daily to weed out these responses, he said.
The other function being carried out locally for the first time is coding the responses for computer processing. The territory has about 400 census takers working now, Mills said, and by next Monday another 15 will be on board to do coding. After battling with the U.S. Census Bureau, Mills said, he has finally arranged to have the coding done in the territory where "we are more familiar with the information." Each response to each question must be coded.
A lot of people have contacted him asking that the definition "native Virgin Islander" be included as an option in the census question on racial identity, Mills said. It is not listed as an option, but respondents can write that definition in under "other" — and also list multiple ethnic identities if they desire.
Another challenge, Mills said with a sigh, is the age-old problem of just where someone lives in the Virgin Islands. Street numbers aren't consistent, and "down the corner by the tamarind tree" won't do.
He said that by the next census, in 2010, he hopes to see the post office box records showing the street addresses of the boxholders, which would make life easier for everybody. Local street addresses have posed problems for Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel searching out disaster assistance grant applicants after storms, he noted.
At some point in the counting, Mills said, those persons who haven't been contacted by a census representative will be asked to get in touch on their own with the V.I. Census office in their district. He said he hopes the field work will be completed by the end of August. "But, you can't tell," he added. "If there should be a storm, we don't have the luxury of waiting until next year. We'll just have to keep on."
VARSITY BASEBALL SCHEDULE
Antilles vs. Wesleyan 6 p.m. Monday May 15 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
All Saints vs. CAHS 6 p.m. Tuesday May 16 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Kean vs. Wesleyan 4 p.m. Wednesday May 17 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Wesleyan vs. All Saints 6 p.m. Friday May19 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
CAHS vs. Antilles 6 p.m. Monday May 22 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Kean vs. All Saints 6 p.m. Tuesday May 23 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
All Saints vs. Antilles 4 p.m., Thursday May 25 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Cancryn vs. CAHS 6 p.m. Friday May 26 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
All Saints vs. CAHS 6 p.m. Tuesday May 16 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Kean vs. Wesleyan 4 p.m. Wednesday May 17 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Wesleyan vs. All Saints 6 p.m. Friday May19 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
CAHS vs. Antilles 6 p.m. Monday May 22 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Kean vs. All Saints 6 p.m. Tuesday May 23 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
All Saints vs. Antilles 4 p.m., Thursday May 25 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Cancryn vs. CAHS 6 p.m. Friday May 26 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
JUNIOR VARSITY BASEBALL SCHEDULE
Cancryn vs. Antilles 4 p.m. Monday May 15 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
BCB vs. CAHS 4 p.m. Tuesday May 16 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
BCB vs. Antilles 4 p.m. Friday May 19 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
CAHS vs. Antilles 4 p.m. Monday May 22 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Cancryn vs. BCB 4 p.m. Tuesday May 23 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Cancryn vs. CAHS 4 p.m. Friday May 26 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
BCB vs. CAHS 4 p.m. Tuesday May 16 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
BCB vs. Antilles 4 p.m. Friday May 19 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
CAHS vs. Antilles 4 p.m. Monday May 22 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Cancryn vs. BCB 4 p.m. Tuesday May 23 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
Cancryn vs. CAHS 4 p.m. Friday May 26 at Kirwan Terrace Ballpark
GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRIAL SLOWPITCH SCHEDULE
N. Guard vs. Health 7 p.m. Tuesday May 16 at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. IRB/HS 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
RO/ATT vs. McDonalds 7 p.m. Wednesday May 17 at Griffith Ballpark
WAPA vs. Cruise Ship Exc. 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Fire vs. Tutu Park 7 p.m. Thursday May 18 at Griffith Ballpark
UVI vs. N. Guard 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. Police 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
WAPA vs. McDonalds 7 p.m. Friday May 19 at Griffith Ballpark
Education vs. ICC 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Airport vs. Senate 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Police vs. IRB/HS. 7 p.m. Saturday May 20 at Griffith Ballpark
Health vs. WICO 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Fire vs. UVI 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Just/TC vs. IRB/HS 7 p.m. Monday May 22 at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. Apex 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
RO/ATT vs. T/C Shipping 7 p.m. Tuesday May 23 at Griffith Ballpark
Senate vs. McDonalds 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Police vs. Apex 7 p.m. Wednesday May 24 at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. N. Guard 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Senate vs. ICC 7 p.m. Thursday May 25 at Griffith Ballpark
Airport vs. Ritz Carlton 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
VIPA vs. WAPA 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. IRB/HS 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
RO/ATT vs. McDonalds 7 p.m. Wednesday May 17 at Griffith Ballpark
WAPA vs. Cruise Ship Exc. 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Fire vs. Tutu Park 7 p.m. Thursday May 18 at Griffith Ballpark
UVI vs. N. Guard 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. Police 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
WAPA vs. McDonalds 7 p.m. Friday May 19 at Griffith Ballpark
Education vs. ICC 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Airport vs. Senate 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Police vs. IRB/HS. 7 p.m. Saturday May 20 at Griffith Ballpark
Health vs. WICO 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Fire vs. UVI 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Just/TC vs. IRB/HS 7 p.m. Monday May 22 at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. Apex 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
RO/ATT vs. T/C Shipping 7 p.m. Tuesday May 23 at Griffith Ballpark
Senate vs. McDonalds 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Police vs. Apex 7 p.m. Wednesday May 24 at Griffith Ballpark
Postal vs. N. Guard 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
Senate vs. ICC 7 p.m. Thursday May 25 at Griffith Ballpark
Airport vs. Ritz Carlton 8:30 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
VIPA vs. WAPA 10:00 p.m. at Griffith Ballpark
SENATORS BACKPEDAL ON FULL-RETIREMENT PLAN
Two senators have commented publicly in recent days on a bill before the Legislature that would, among other things, allow lawmakers to retire at full salary for the rest of their lives after serving six two-year terms.
Senate majority leader Allie-Allison Petrus said Sunday night that the majority block is "prepared to delete sections relative to senators' retirement" and send the rest of the bill, which addresses retirement throughout the government, through the legislative process. Senate President Vargrave Richards stayed firmly on the fence in a release issued Wednesday but acknowledged the furor flying over the issue.
"I am aware that this situation has caused much concern, and as the Senate president I acknowledge your concerns and have listened intently to the many points of view," he stated. "I am committed to a process of public participation in the best interest of the retirement system and hope, once all aspects of the bill [are] presented and scrutinized, that we can arrive at a point of consensus."
Petrus, speaking on the "Behind the Headlines" program on WTJX-TV Sunday evening, said the retirement system needs to be revamped and "we recognize the importance of this bill." But, he added, the majority senators are "prepared to delete sections relative to senators' retirement."
There has been widespread speculation that the section liberalizing legislators' retirement benefits was included as a sweetener to ensure passage of the overall package. The bill is based on a draft submitted by the Government Employees Retirement System board of trustees, which earlier this year rejected a draft forwarded to it by the Legislature.
Richards in his release noted that the bill was a long time in the making and that senators were involved in the process. So did GERS administrator Lawrence Bryan, who was also a guest on "Behind the Lines." According to Bryan, the overall GERS revamping stems from the Early Retirement Act of 1994, which mandated that a study of alternative retirement plans be undertaken. "About July 1999 the staff actively began putting a draft together," he said, and it was submitted to the GERS trustees in November.
Under the proposal, employee contributions would remain unchanged, Bryan said, but benefits "would be reduced from the present level." The proposal would not affect employees already enrolled in the government retirement program, he added.
Petrus charged that some senators who were involved in putting the GERS proposal together are now disassociating themselves from it. Terming them "Benedict Arnolds," he charged that they "sat down and discussed this issue from time to time, and at the last minute, when the pressure comes down, [said] ‘I had nothing to do with it.'"
He identified the original nine sponsors of the bill as himself, Richards and Sens. Gregory Bennerson, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg," Roosevelt David, Violet Anne Golden, Judy Gomez, David Jones and Almando "Rocky" Liburd.
Richards stated in his release that "this section, as well as the entire bill, was discussed during the course of the last several months with GERS." He added, "There are many substantive and significant features of the bill that should be passed."
Noting that a Senate session to take up the bill as a Committee of the Whole last week was adjourned before the measure could be considered, Richards said: "At the appropriate juncture, the bill will be reassigned to the Committee on Government Operations for public hearings and full debate."
The committee is chaired by Sen. Bennerson.
Senate majority leader Allie-Allison Petrus said Sunday night that the majority block is "prepared to delete sections relative to senators' retirement" and send the rest of the bill, which addresses retirement throughout the government, through the legislative process. Senate President Vargrave Richards stayed firmly on the fence in a release issued Wednesday but acknowledged the furor flying over the issue.
"I am aware that this situation has caused much concern, and as the Senate president I acknowledge your concerns and have listened intently to the many points of view," he stated. "I am committed to a process of public participation in the best interest of the retirement system and hope, once all aspects of the bill [are] presented and scrutinized, that we can arrive at a point of consensus."
Petrus, speaking on the "Behind the Headlines" program on WTJX-TV Sunday evening, said the retirement system needs to be revamped and "we recognize the importance of this bill." But, he added, the majority senators are "prepared to delete sections relative to senators' retirement."
There has been widespread speculation that the section liberalizing legislators' retirement benefits was included as a sweetener to ensure passage of the overall package. The bill is based on a draft submitted by the Government Employees Retirement System board of trustees, which earlier this year rejected a draft forwarded to it by the Legislature.
Richards in his release noted that the bill was a long time in the making and that senators were involved in the process. So did GERS administrator Lawrence Bryan, who was also a guest on "Behind the Lines." According to Bryan, the overall GERS revamping stems from the Early Retirement Act of 1994, which mandated that a study of alternative retirement plans be undertaken. "About July 1999 the staff actively began putting a draft together," he said, and it was submitted to the GERS trustees in November.
Under the proposal, employee contributions would remain unchanged, Bryan said, but benefits "would be reduced from the present level." The proposal would not affect employees already enrolled in the government retirement program, he added.
Petrus charged that some senators who were involved in putting the GERS proposal together are now disassociating themselves from it. Terming them "Benedict Arnolds," he charged that they "sat down and discussed this issue from time to time, and at the last minute, when the pressure comes down, [said] ‘I had nothing to do with it.'"
He identified the original nine sponsors of the bill as himself, Richards and Sens. Gregory Bennerson, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg," Roosevelt David, Violet Anne Golden, Judy Gomez, David Jones and Almando "Rocky" Liburd.
Richards stated in his release that "this section, as well as the entire bill, was discussed during the course of the last several months with GERS." He added, "There are many substantive and significant features of the bill that should be passed."
Noting that a Senate session to take up the bill as a Committee of the Whole last week was adjourned before the measure could be considered, Richards said: "At the appropriate juncture, the bill will be reassigned to the Committee on Government Operations for public hearings and full debate."
The committee is chaired by Sen. Bennerson.
