Recently, a V.I. newspaper carried two pages of articles calling for more jobs. The primary subjects were V.I. economy, government deficit, casinos and industry. Simplistic growth economics — more is better as tomorrow's inflation will pay for today's excess.
The next day, an editorial bewailed the degradation of our environment and a headline begged the question "Who will stop the killing?" The second headline was "State of the Territory."
Careful study of these articles reveal a labyrinth of hypocrisy and paradox created by well-intentioned individuals too used to glossing over the hard issues.
The editorial dealt with prostitutes, drug addicts, homeless people and the sensitivities of our "citizens." The crime article indicated at least 30 people under age 25 killed in the past three years. The State of the Territory called for more tourists.
This is a clash of opposing dynamics! We are a finite land mass. We are rural by distance between our islands, and from our mother country. We are urban by number of people per square mile. We are ill-educated in relation to our national standard. We are extremely wealthy in relation to our Caribbean neighbors. We are very poor in relation to our nation as a whole and the tourists who flood our streets. Finally, overcrowding + insecurity = stress = violence = pain, suffering and death.
Gov. Ralph Piewonsky attempted to address this problem by sending Tom Blake and Ed Phillips to Harvard for graduate degrees in city planning. They developed the "General Physical Plan for 1980" — tabled to death by the Maduro Legislature.
He then hired one of the world's foremost community planners. Several Legislatures took this effort down the primrose path of obfuscation into political expedience.
In fact, our senators religiously choose political payoff in lieu of logic, reason, and socioeconomic principles. Community planning has become an old wife's lament.
Under the Farrelly administration the V.I. Development Act was proposed, massaged, proposed, massaged – to death. Again, government opted for political expediency — living for the instant with no regard for the future.
An example is the filling of the flood plain along Turpentine Run. The flood plain manager for Planning and Natural Resources apparently stuck his head in the dirt of politics, accepting his biweekly paycheck while allowing rampant environmental degradation. The landfill, higher than the public road, will cause flood waters to destroy the highway, costing millions of dollars to replace and isolating the East End.
How many people can our islands sustain — in an environment both physically and mentally healthy so crime and violence is not a given? In an environment that will encourage wealthy tourists, who will spend money on first-class facilities and high-caliber service, to visit us? In a community dedicated to educating our people to a superior standard in order for them to command above-normal pay so they can earn a high standard of living? With a government which can meet and surpass our needs within our ability to pay? So we can have an environment WE want to live in and enjoy!

The American Red Cross has developed a brochure that lists the potential problems that could arise as a result of the Y2K "bug" and tells you what can be done to prepare for it.
The brochure is available locally by calling 774-0375.
The President's Council on Y2K Conversion, established by the White House and a Special Senate Committee, have attempted to identify specific problem areas. They include utilities, banking and finance, health care, transportation, telecommunications, pension and mutual funds, emergency planning, and business in general.
The computer problems could result in loss of power for extended periods, break down in telecommunications and transportation gridlock.
The American Red Cross brochure offers information about the Y2K technology and a preparedness checklist.

FUNGI
Fungi is a cornmeal dish akin to polenta that's a staple comfort food throughout most of the Caribbean. Like polenta, it can be served soft, roughly the consistency of stiff mashed potatoes, or, after cooking a longer time, spread out, cooled and cut into small pieces. Fungi is a delicious side dish usually served with fish, or it's shaped into little balls as a garnish for soup such as kallaloo. Fungi can be made plain or enhanced, like this recipe, with onions, okra and tomatoes.
3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing pan
1/2 cup minced onion
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups yellow stone ground cornmeal
1/3 cup diced tomato, seeded and drained
1/2 cup frozen sliced okra, thawed,
coarsely chopped and well drained
Melt the butter in a small frying pan and cook the onion over medium heat for five minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized heavy saucepan, preferably a nonstick one. Add the salt and slowly pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir constantly for 10 minutes. (At this point, you have soft fungi. Just season it with 2 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper and serve in a bowl.)
Stir in the onions and butter, tomatoes and okra. Continue stirring for five minutes until the mixture rolls off the side of the pan and no longer sticks to the bottom.
Turn the mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet and smooth the top evenly with a spatula into about a 10-inch square, about three-quarters of an inch thick. Cool for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for one hour.
Cut the fungi into small squares and serve at room temperature.
Makes 6 servings
Editor's note: Michele Evans, a resident of St Thomas, is the author of 13 cookbooks. She also co-authored "La Cucina Siciliana di Gangivecchio," which won the James Beard Foundation award for the best Italian cookbook for 1997. Her travel guide, "Caribbean Connoisseur…An Insider's Guide to the Islands' Best Hotels Resorts and Inns," published by St. Martin's Press, is in its third edition.

Classes for the Day Adult Education Program begin Tues., Jan. 19, 1999. Registration is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays at the Day Adult Center on Commandant Gade.
Courses are offered to assist in preparation for obtaining a GED Diploma.
Courses are also offered in computer skills, typing and office practice.
For more information call 774-6899.

The Office of Management and Budget is refusing to release the first phase of a five-year economic plan completed by a Washington consultant under a $600,000 Interior Department grant.
Wednesday's Independent quotes Judith Michael of OMB as saying of the report by Consultants for Resources Evaluation, or CORE, "That's a confidential document." The newspaper said Michael did not respond to its faxed list of questions about the plan.
A spokesman for the Interior Department also refused to release the plan, telling the Independent, "I don't think the Department of Interior should be commenting on a contract that the Virgin Islands government has selected."
Though Gov. Charles W. Turnbull made no reference to the CORE contract or report in his State of the Territory message when he said he plans to draft a five-year economic plan, Juel Molloy, his chief of staff, said Turnbull does intend to "look at all ideas on the table. I'm very confident that he will consider the recommendations of the group."
The Interior Department grant was intended to help the Virgin Islands develop a long-range plan to cut government spending and increase revenues. CORE has been working on the plan for about a year and a half, according to the Independent.

Latin legend, Tito Puente will be the headliner for a host of other well-known national, international and local entertainers performing at spectacular Magens Bay on Martin Luther King Day.
The gates will open at 7 a.m. with music and entertainment beginning at 9 a.m.
For full details of the event go to the St. Thomas Source Music page under Arts/Entertaiment on the menu.

Visiting from Massachusetts, Reed Hendricks is no stranger to the Virgin Islands. The island of St. John has been a second home for Reed Hendricks over the past 4 years, where she has shared her talent in numerous workshops for adults and children, and exhibited her paintings in several galleries.
For full details of her show and her work go to Arts/Entertainment on St. Thomas Source Menu – Showcase section.

Great stuff! I have just looked over your new website and I must send you hearty congrats. This is a well-laid out, informative vehicle for news about our precious Virgin Islands and all of the wonderful people who live on our islands.
For a Thomian living in Miami, but who still keeps in touch with multiple visits every year, this is a wonderful addition to the torn and tattered Daily News, one week late!
I have passed along your website address to about 100+ other Thomian friends both on and off the Rock, and I know that when we all get together in Key West for the 4th annual St. Thomian Bacchanal, everyone will be
chatting up this site.
So good work, good news and GOOD LUCK!
P.S. What was that government boat doing in Tortola?? Somebody have a beach party, and we wern't invited? Maybe it was a trade mission. Hmmm.
Patrick Deery
Miami

Over the Christmas holiday I had the opportunity to go sailing through our beautiful waters and visit the British Virgin Islands. At West End where we chose to clear Customs, I was surprised to see one of the Virgin Islands' navy boats docked.
To my understanding the Fire Runner and Tampo One, as they have been christened, are meant to move material between the three U.S. Virgin Islands. Unless I am completely out of the loop, the last time I checked, Tortola was definitely a British island.
I hope that someone, anyone, can let me know what the Fire Runner was doing in the BVI. Government work, or some favor for a friend?
For a government in fiscal crisis, I am surprised and outraged that money, time and fuel may have been wasted in this fashion.
I hope that someone can shed some light on the Fire Runner's activities. Who is charge around here?

Thomas B. Brunt IV
St. Thomas

This is the time of year when we decide to change our lives for the better. However, it doesn't have to be a lonely effort.
Research confirms that we are much more effective when we have support.
Experiments have shown that dieters who operate on a "buddy" system lose more weight and are more successful at keeping it off. The success of AA and other "12-step" programs is based partly on having someone to call on for moral support night or day. And psychology experiments confirmed that having even one person who shares your views gives you increased determination and
motivation.
Whether you are starting a new business, a new diet, a novel or any other undertaking, how can you get the support you need from friends and family?
Here are five ways:
1. Be clear about how you feel about your new venture. If family members or others treat it as something of a joke, sit down with them and tell them how much it means to you and that you'd appreciate it if they'd treat it with respect.
2. Ask for support-and be specific. What kind of support do you need? Would it help if your spouse took the kids out for an afternoon every week to give you study time? Could your kids take on some chores to give you more free time? Could a colleague teach you some new computer skills? Decide what you need and ask for it.
3. Involve others in your new effort. Share your dreams and progress with your family and friends.
4. Respect other people's passions. If you want respect for what you're doing, show other people the same consideration. If you respect their priorities and interests, they're more likely to respect yours.
5. If your friends don't respect your efforts, get new friends. This may sound harsh, but as we change, sometimes we need to find new friends who share our current interests. In classes and special-interest groups you'll find like-minded people.
The motto behind the workshops I teach is, "The best way to predict the future
is to create it."
That was said by Alan Kay and he was talking about technology, but the same applies to our lives. Decide what you want, and go
for it, step-by-step.
I hope this column will help you. If you have
questions or suggestions for column topics, please send them to me via e-mail, at
FutureUK@aol.com.
Editor's note: Jurgen Wolff is the editor and publisher of "Brainstorm," the creativity newsletter, and teaches the "Create Your Future" workshop. For a free copy of Brainstorm, e-mail your mailing address to FutureUK@aol.com.
(c) Jurgen Wolff 1999