Is Memorial Day a school holiday or a class make-up day this year?
The latest answer from Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds on Tuesday was that it's once more a school holiday.
Simmonds went over the school year schedule with her education task force Monday and found that there was an extra day of classes.
Earlier, the commissioner announced that the holiday would be a make-up school day to compensate for class time lost due mainly to Hurricanes Jose and Lenny. In response to objections from veterans and their supporters, she met with some veterans last week and shared ideas about teaching the meaning of Memorial Day in classrooms that day.
Simmonds said Tuesday that the scheduling mix-up "probably had to do with Hurricane Jose."

Gov. Charles W. Turnbull said Tuesday he is committed to "a full public airing" of all details of the proposed Southern Energy-Water and Power Authority partnership before he sends his proposal to the Legislature for approval.
Speaking at his morning press conference in Government House on St. Thomas, the governor said he was reviewing the proposal submitted by his negotiating team.
The administration has come under strong criticism from some quarters for negotiating with Southern Energy behind closed doors.
Turnbull also left no question as to his opinion on the Ritz-Carlton's proposed expansion. "We cannot continue to chase away investors," he said. "There are some in the Legislature and elsewhere who oppose this development. It boggles the mind."
Saying the hotel is rated No. 1 in the Americas, he said opposition to the expansion "has to stop -– we are killing the goose that lays the golden egg."
Among other topics the governor touched on:
– The territory's request for forgiveness of the Hurricane Hugo loan from the Federal Emergency Management Agency loan. Turnbull said he met with FEMA director James Lee Witt in Washington recently and requested cancellation of the loan.
He said the proposed White House budget for Fiscal Year 2001 would suspend payments on the FEMA loan through Sept. 30, 2001. The governor said he asked that the Federal Credit Reform Act be used as a basis for canceling the remainder of the loan.
– The confiscation of cigarettes marked "for export only" from U.S. tourists leaving the Virgin Islands. Halting cigarette sales represents a loss of millions of dollars to the territory. Turnbull said he had written to the heads of U.S. Customs and the U.S. Treasury asking that Customs agents halt the confiscations, and that he is awaiting a response.
Meantime, he said, Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) will introduce a technical amendment to exempt the sale of duty-free cigarettes for personal use.
– Criticism of Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull in the Senate on Monday, when she stated that she had tapped into other funds to get money to pay $400,000 in workers' compensation claims. The governor said the money transfers were "humanitarian" and not illegal. He said he would discuss the matter in his meeting with the Senate on Thursday.
– Education as a top priority. At the National Governors Conference he recently attended, Turnbull said, it was agreed that in every state and territory education of children is the top priority, and that federal funding is needed.
"Although the territory's fiscal crisis is very severe, special attention must be given to education," he said. He said he will announce "special initiatives geared to improving our educational system in the weeks ahead."
In other matters, the governor said he had:
– met with Interior Department officials to include in the president's budget a $9.2 million grant for the Environmental Protection Agency to address the critical needs of the territory's sewage system.
– directed under the state of emergency he declared for the Public Works Department that any department whose participation is required in the procurement process give Public Works what it needs to repair the territory's sewage system.
– requested $2.7 million in federal grants for technological programs for the Police Department, and a $700,000 grant from Housing and Urban Development for economic development initiatives.
– sent proposals for construction of the Mangrove Lagoon sewage treatment plant, estimated to cost $26 million and 25 years in the planning.
– sent proposals for facilities at the Bovoni and Anguilla Landfills, estimated to cost $70 million each.
The governor said he met with President Clinton in Washington and that the president is "very much interested in helping the V.I. during his last days in office" in keeping with his desire to leave a legacy of support for minorities. He announced that a congressional delegation will visit the territory on Friday to meet with legislators and business leaders on status and consitutional issues.

If it's spring, it's the Jogger Jam, and this year's annual women's run begins at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9 at the Fruit Bowl in Wheatley Shopping Center.
The popular event, in its 18th year, benefits the Victim Advocates program. It is traditionally sponsored by the Fruit Bowl, and run in conjunction with the St. Thomas Association of Road Runners.
Therese Hodge, race director, said that she is "shooting for 300 (runners) this year." That would top last years' total by about 100. "I'm contacting the Girl Scouts, the schools and their alumnus' associations," she said.
You don't have to be a runner to enter. You can jog, walk, even hop, if you wish. It's open to women of all ages, from those who are taking their first steps, to those who've taken many, many more.
The two-mile race route begins at the Fruit Bowl and goes past Roy L. Schneider Hospital, up around Fortress Storage, down by Lockhart School and the Sugar Estate Post Office, and then back again for one more lap. After this, it's on to the Fruit Bowl for trophies, T-shirts, fresh fruit, water, and possibly even free massages.
The Fruit Bowl gives $5 to Victim Advocates for every runner, walker, or jogger across the finish line, and the first 200 get free T-shirts.
Registration is at the Fruit Bowl from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day except Sunday, when the store closes at 3 p.m. Pre-registration is $5, and $4 for STAR members. Also, you can sign up at Players in Havensight Mall, or Going Seanile on the waterfront. The fee for children from two to 18 years is $2. At the race, it's $7 for everybody.
For more information, call Therese Hodge at (340) 775-6373.

The Community Foundation of the V.I. is pleased to announce the fourth annual Mini-Grants Program for innovative programs and projects that respond to the needs of children and families in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Mini-Grants Program promotes the initiation of new and creative programs and projects that are of direct benefit to the children, youth or families of the Virgin Islands and demonstrate the promise of continuing after the expiration of the grant. CFVI will give priority to proposals not already being met by established programs. Grants cannot be used to assist with the underwriting of operating budgets.
FUNDING LIMITS: Awards in the CFVI Mini-Grants Program will range from $250 to $1,000. Up to 20 grants will be awarded.
ELIGIBILITY: Any private group (i.e. school class or club, sports team, alumni group, etc.) or individual in the US Virgin Islands may submit an application. Proposals will also be accepted from established non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.
All proposals must be submitted on a CFVI application form available on:
— ST. THOMAS:
The Draughting Shaft, Havensight Mall;
and CFVI Office, 6 Dronnigens Gade, Suite 210
— ST. CROIX:
St. Croix Foundation for Community Development,
202 Chandlers Wharf
— Or CALL CFVI at 774-6031
— Or on St. Thomas Source, St. Croix Source or St. John Source under Community/Organizations
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Completed applications should be sent to CFVI, postmarked no later than April 12, 20000.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Write CFVI P.O. Box 11790, St. Thomas, USVI 00801; Call 774-6031; or Fax 774-3852.

V.I. Housing Authority Police seized a semi-automatic weapon from Hanef Abiff, 20, of Oswald Harris Court when Abiff attempted to run away from the officers.
A Housing Authority release Tuesday described the weapon, a Glock, as "the type legally used only by law enforcement officers."
Abiff, who was arrested Friday and is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail, faces stiff criminal penalties. Additionally, he and his family could be evicted, the authority's release said.
The Housing Authority Police said they were responding to a report of an assault when they came upon Abiff, who was attempting to hide the weapon.
Housing Authority Police have the same status as territorial police and can enforce federal housing regulations, according to Conrad E. Francois, VIHA executive director.
Francois said the Housing Police have confiscated many weapons as well as drugs in the three years they have been operating under the command of Chief Fitzroy Williams.
The initiative to keep housing communities safe by eliminating guns, drugs and criminal activities is a joint effort between VIHA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The efforts of the West Indian Co. Ltd. and the V.I. government to deal with growth in the cruise industry has been highlighted in a cruise industry publication.
The article, which appeared in the spring 2000 issue of Cruise Industry News, is favorable and upbeat, saying that St. Thomas has been able to cope with the growth of the cruise industry.
The downside, said the one-page article, is the growing traffic menace and the daily struggle to shuttle cruise passengers from the WICO dock to the Charlotte Amalie shopping area. Edward Thomas, WICO chief executive officer, is quoted as saying that while he welcomes all cruise arrivals to the port of St. Thomas, it has become a daily challenge.
"We never try to put more than one ship from each line at the dock one day," Thomas said. The remaining ships arriving that day are then assigned positions elsewhere in the harbor.
To address the industry's concerns about traffic congestion — a source of passenger dissatisfaction — Thomas told Cruise Industry News that water taxis must be a part of a future solution, regardless of the political unpopularity of the idea.
Thomas is also quoted as saying it is no longer a question of "whether we should or shouldn't develop" the secondary pier at Crown Bay – "We have to develop Crown Bay."
He said that WICO, the VI Port Authority and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association are awaiting the findings of Star Center, a company contracted to provide a study of traffic movement in the area. Michele Paige, FCCA executive director, said that any development of the Crown Bay Dock will depend on the study's findings.
Thomas cited the need to have a facility that can accommodate two mega-ships – those longer than 800 feet.
The article said that if the study determines it is viable to develop Crown Bay, additional landside developments will be considered.
On other issues, the article said the cruise industry is opposed to the institution of a $2.50 head tax, something that has been considered by the Legislature.
Cruise Industry News quoted from a draft of a contract it secured between the Virgin Islands and FCCA – the cruise industry was offering St. Thomas in-season as well as summer-season traffic increases of 10 percent annually, with a 25 percent annual increase on the table for St. Croix.
But in its proposal, the FCCA warned that the Virgin Islands could expect a reduction of about 400,000 passengers a year if the head tax legislation was approved. The reduction could take effect as early as the year 2006, the FCCA said.
Without the head tax, the islands are guaranteed 1.09 million passengers in the same year if the territory signs off on the contract.
However, the article said the contract has not yet been signed and "St. Thomas is one of the very few islands that can lay some form of claim to being in the 'driver's seat' when at the table with the cruise industry."
The article also highlights the expansion of the WICO pier now under way to accommodate the large Eagle-class vessels and deal with the buffeting effects of the new Azipod propulsion systems.
It repeats WICO's belief in the economic advantages of cruise tourism, which accounts for "roughly half of the total" of tourism dollars coming into the territory.
Thomas told the publication, "I think the key question for the Caribbean is whether or not the ports can keep their infrastructure up to pace with the new vessels, which are being built so far and so big. The question is: Can ports keep up?"

The V.I. Cooperative Extension Service announces there will be a tax workshop from 10 a.m. until noon on Friday, March 31, at the UVI Research & Extension Center, room 133.
For more information contact Mrs. Dorothy Gibbs at 692-4094 ext. 4097.

Final legal details of the AT&T Butler Bay mud spill fiasco on St. Croix were settled last week, four years after the incident took place.
Under a settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department, AT&T, AT&T of the Virgin Islands, and contractors A&L Underground and BioImpact, a St. Croix company, will pay $1.8 million in civil penalties. Both the V.I. and U.S. governments alleged that in 1996 the defendants released hundreds of thousands of gallons of bentonite drilling mud in Butler Bay while installing fiber optic cables between St. Croix and areas in North America, South America and Europe.
The drilling mud covered and killed conch and other aquatic organisms, and smothered large areas of sea grass and coral in Butler Bay.
Originally the V.I. government attempted to fine AT&T $23 million. But a settlement announced a year ago was for $8 million. Of the $8 million, $2 million was for penalties to both the U.S. and V.I. governments. However, the majority of the $2 million, approximately $1.8 million, went to the federal government.
The $6 million balance went to the territory in the form of permit fees for other AT&T cable projects and to reimburse the government for related monitoring and legal costs.
Although the defendants had federal permits for the work, they were not authorized to discharge the drilling mud. The release of the mud violated the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act, according to a DOJ statement. Lois Schiffer, assistant attorney general for environment and natural resources, said the civil penalty is one of the largest ever obtained under the Clean Water Act’s provisions prohibiting the discharge of fill material into wetland or marine habitat without a permit.
"The significant penalty imposed today is a reminder that companies cannot gain a technology advantage at the expense of the environment," said Schiffer. "The Justice Department will enforce environmental laws wherever violations are found – including underwater. This settlement will help protect the natural treasures of the Caribbean Sea."
As part of the settlement, the companies must also monitor Butler Bay. AT&T undertook a cleanup of the area in 1997 under an order from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Testimony given by Labor Commissioner Sonia Jacobs-Dow and Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull on Monday revealed that worker's compensation payments will grind to a halt again this week as the result of the insurance fund being in the red by $2.9 million.
At a meeting of the Committee on Labor and Veteran's Affairs, a number of additional problems were uncovered.
Among them was Turnbull's revelation that on Friday she had authorized payment of $400,000 for claims against the worker's compensation program by "tapping other special funds of the government." Several senators became upset at that news, noting that the administration did not have authorization to tap other funds.
Turnbull responded that no further payments will be authorized until the Senate acts on an appropriation bill from Government House.
However, at a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Charles Turnbull supported Turnbull's action, saying, "What she did was a humanitarian deed; it was not illegal."
The governor said he would further discuss the status of the worker's compensation program when he meets with legislators Thursday. In fact, the governor placed the blame for the problems with worker's compensation on the Legislature's doorstep.
"In December, this same Legislature failed to enact a $3 million appropriation that would have covered the shortfall in the fund, the governor said. "The Senate dropped the ball and now there is a crisis."
The insurance fund is owed $6.8 million by the V.I. government and $943,012 by private companies, according to the Finance commissioner.
Additionally, Dow faced several rounds of tough questioning Monday as senators questioned her about Labor's failure to implement federally mandated "one-stop shopping" for services provided by the agency. Dow was also questioned about her failure to implement increases in unemployment benefits and decreases in employers' contributions to the fund.
Committee Chair Roosevelt David openly criticized Dow for failing to enact the provisions of that legislation, which was passed last year.

Water and Power Authority customers will see increases in their electric bills April 1, but the Public Services Commission has softened the blow a bit by restricting the percentage they'll go up for now.
The PSC agreed to let the utility raise rates by 17 percent for residential customers instead of the 23 percent that WAPA had projected, and by 14 percent for commercial customers and 19 percent for large-scale users. The increases will extend over nine months and split the increased cost of oil between WAPA and its consumers.
The average residential electric bill will go up $10.37 a month for residential customers, $28.08 for commercial users and $523.21 for large power users.
PSC investigative consultant Anthony Zarillo had advised the commission against the $14 average monthly household increase WAPA cited in a press release Friday.
Zarillo, in his report on the utility's "levelized energy adjustment," a surcharge linked to world market fuel costs that the PSC first permitted WAPA to add onto bills in 1981, warned against action that could produce "rate shock" among consumers.
The surcharge rate is adjusted every six months. With oil prices soaring, WAPA representatives said, it is sure to go up again in July. But they said that between now and then they will seek to prepare a recovery plan.
Each revision of the surcharge is supposed to balance projected oil costs for the six months to come with any over- or undercharging versus actual fuel costs for the previous six months.
Because of cost increases that have not been passed on to customers in the last year, WAPA authorities said, the utility's under-collecting will reach almost $12 million by the end of March. The surcharge adjustment approved by the PSC last October was based on an oil cost projection of $21.75 per barrel. The price is now about $30 a barrel.
Glenn Rothgeb, WAPA assistant executive director, acknowledged he had misjudged the price climb. He said he doesn't expect oil prices to go down any time in the near future, either. Even with the coming bill increases, he said, WAPA is "just treading water."
WAPA has been losing about $1 million a month since January and will probably need to borrow money to keep going, WAPA chief financial officer Terry Drake said.
Zarillo said consumers should not expect any relief until fall at the earliest, even if the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries increases the oil supply.
Both WAPA officials and PSC members expressed concern about how the increase will affect those on fixed incomes and small businesses. Commission member Desmond Maynard said, "I shudder to think what kind of reaction we're going to get in the community."
The choices, Zarillo said, are "either pay now, or pay later."