Local spending, not the tourist dollar, brought a merrier Christmas to island retailers this year. Locals, who had not been much in evidence all year, made up for it this season.
Kathryn Peterson, owner of the Leather Shop, said her biggest surprise this season has been local spending, which made all the difference.
"Sales were spectacular and above expectations," she said.
Corrine Van Rensselaer, who owns the Color of Joy, had a "wonderful season, up from last year both in the store and the frame shop." Almost all her business is local.
Echoing this trend, Debbie Shaw, hardline manager at Kmart, said, "Sales were excellent — better than anticipated,and better than last year."
But this wasn't the case everywhere.
Many stores, especially those dependent on the tourist dollar, suffered.
The Pampered Pirate's Sarah Kemp reported sales down 15 percent from last season.
"I think with the cheaper cruises, the cruise ship clientele has changed appreciably," Kemp said. "They simply aren't spending like they used to."
Meene Sahni of Carnival Gifts at Havensight said, "Sales were 50 percent lower than a regular heavy cruise ship day."
Anatalia Turbe of the venerable La Belle Creole in Frenchtown said she didn't reap the benefits of local spending either.
Joan Henle, retail director for Pussers, said that while their St. Thomas stores didn't do well, both the St. John and British Virgin Islands outlets did quite nicely.
The larger Main Street merchants are traditionally reluctant to release sales figures but many said they were happy, overall, with their Christmas sales.
Thomas B. Brunt III, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, said people he talked to on Christmas Eve had done well. In general, it seems most stores are doing better than last year, he said.
Brunt had a prediction: "The stores and business who will do really well are those who have invested in their businesses. Those people who have made physical improvements, invested in new inventory and who have spent time and money training their employees will reap the rewards of their investments."

Gov. Roy L. Schneider has signed six new contracts, Government House announced Thursday, Schneider's last official working day in office.
The contracts, all relating to health and human services, are for:
— Medical Services of Northwest Florida Inc. to provide registered nurses, midwives, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses and certified registered nurses to the Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix. The one-year contract is for $2.5 million.
— William M. Karr and Associates to furnish all labor, materials and equipment to design and renovate the Queen Louise Home on St. Thomas, which was damaged by Hurricane Marilyn. The work is to be completed in 180 days for $693,132.
— Howard University Hospital to screen newborns for sickle cell disease, congenital hypothyroidism and other diseases. The one-year contract is for $33,933.
— Roy D. Jackson to audit Community Health Services at the East End Family Health Center on St. Thomas. Jackson will be paid $19,000 for one year.
— Zenon Construction Corp. to install a new perimeter fence at the Youth Rehabilitation Center on St. Croix within 60 days. The contract is for $245,540.
— Caribbean Quality Control Services Inc. to inspect the construction of the Anguilla (Figtree) sewage force main on St. Croix. The $84,380 project is to be completed within four months. The project is funded by the V.I. Public Finance Authority through $2.5 million in bond proceeds, the release noted.

The Federal Transit Administration has awarded a $161,296 grant to the Public Works Department for bus support service for St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, Government House has announced.
The total project costs $287,936, according to the release, which had no information on how the money will be used or divided among the islands.

Gov. Roy L. Schneider has accepted a gift of land, Virgin Cay Marina near Bovoni, to be used as a conservational/recreational park.
The land was given by the estate of Cynthia Sophie Major to the V.I. government with a stipulation that it be named the Cynthia and Ian Major State Park.
Housing, Parks and Recreation will manage the property, the Government House press release said. It did not indicate how big the cay is or any specific plans for how it will be used.

Tiger Woods played Mahogany Run Golf Course on Wednesday and decided, "I like the course."
Thursday's Daily News has a page 1 story with photo showing Woods golfing. Said Nevin Phillips, golf director at Mahogany Run: "We're in heaven here. He's the No. 1 player in the world."
Phillips said he didn't know Woods was coming to play until a half-hour before his tee time.
Woods played Mahogany Run on his 23rd birthday "to have fun," he told the Daily News. But he wanted his visit to be private, and declined to say where he is staying in St. Thomas or how long he'll be here. He also didn't say what he shot.
Woods, a Stanford University graduate who turned pro in 1996, won the 1997 Masters tournament. He lives in Orlando.

Beginning in January, the Internal Revenue Bureau will computerize all withholding procedures, according to IRB Director Joseph Aubain.
Aubain said that for the first time in 22 years, the bureau will reconcile withholding taxes along with 501, 941, W3 and W2 forms.
For more information call the IRB at 774-5865.

An early February event at Tillett Gardens will herald the return of Chee-Yun, a Korean violinist who is widely recognized in the music world as one of today's most gifted young musicians.
Chee-Yun is a past winner of the Young Concert Artist's International Auditions. Sounds like another must see.
The concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. Feb. 3. Call Tillett Gardens at 775-1929 for ticket information.

Malaysian developer Tan Kay Hock's representative "has not negotiated" with the West Indian Co. Ltd. over terms of a lease "and it appears he does not intend to do so," WICO's president and CEO has said.
Edward E. Thomas released excerpts Wednesday of correspondence with the Public Finance Authority over the status of Tan's negotiations to lease 7 acres at the Long Bay landfill for a $200 million hotel-condominium-marina complex.
Thomas' scathing letter makes it clear that WICO officials believe the developer expected to dictate terms of the lease — something WICO officials decisively rejected.
"The property will not be given away," Thomas wrote the PFA. "It is only fair and prudent for WICO to get a decent financial return for the use of this valuable property."
Thomas apparently released portions of his letter in response to a press release last week from the Public Finance Authority urging WICO to keep the door open for negotiations for the Long Bay project, planned for the site of the derelict Yacht Haven Hotel which Tan now owns.
In response to the authority's request that "this investor (be) adequately nurtured and encouraged to maintain his interest in the territory," Thomas wrote:
"WICO has not closed the door to negotiations but it takes two parties to negotiate. In the process, one party should not expect to dictate the terms and conditions of the negotiations.
"In fact, there has been one discussion between the WICO negotiating team and the representative of Johan Holdings Berhard, Mr. Ian Peacocke.
"Mr. Peacocke has not negotiated, and it appears he does not intend to do so, and has stated and reiterated, the conditions of a lease to which the WICO board must agree and the proposal was Johan Holdings Berhard's final offer.
"We are not sure of the basis for his adamant stance but the members of the negotiating team feel that position is unreasonable, not in the best interest of this territory, and recommended against approval of such a proposal."
Thomas went on to say that "the attention being given" to Peacocke and the development company "must give them a feeling of support not shared by the negotiating team. It may be that Johan Holdings Berhard is accustomed to dictate terms of leases that benefit them only. No financial data or business plan has been provided to us to help us analyze the project and, if they are encouraged to proceed as they wish, no one will ever be privy to those necessary documents."
Thomas said WICO officials have discussed the stalemate with Gov.-elect Charles W. Turnbull, who would have to approve any modification to the existing Coastal Zone Management permit for the landfill site before sending it to the Legislature for its OK.
Turnbull's views about the proposed project are "not as enthusiastic as presented" by the PFA, Thomas noted.
WICO first met with Peacocke in October 1997, Thomas said, but Peacocke didn't submit a proposal to WICO until August 1998.
"And notwithstanding the size of the project and the lack of information about it, he expected an expedited approval on his terms and conditions," Thomas told the PFA. "We do not know what was promised Johan Holdings Berhard but the WICO board members do not feel bound by any commitments that may have been made; we have made none.
Thomas said the WICO board had no objection to the PFA's suggestion that the board hire a reputable Realtor to advise members on the terms of the project but added, "We would not be bound by his/her views since we cannot transfer to him/her the fiduciary responsibility we have."
Editor's note: Please see earlier story on the PFA's recommendations. For a list of WICO board members, check out the Community/Data site.

The business community's meeting Wednesday morning with telecommunications representatives provided no immediate solution to ongoing interruptions in local and long-distance telephone service, the chamber's president said.
"To say the meeting was disappointing is an understatement," said Thomas B. Brunt III.
"We called this meeting to solve problems — to discuss options and suggestions and say, ‘Yes, this will work – no, this won't work,' " Brunt said. "What Vitelco gave us was, 'We're looking into it and doing everything possible to solve the problems.' "
"We are very concerned that the measures being taken will not be adequate to take care of these ongoing problems," Brunt said.
Brunt said that Samuel Ebbeson, president of the V.I. Telephone Corp., admitted during the meeting that Vitelco's existing equipment was installed in the 1980s and said it is inadequate and in poor condition.
Brunt voiced disappointment that the new switch Vitelco is installing won't be ready until March or April. Vitelco also indicated that new T-1 lines would not be available for another 30 to 45 days, Brunt said.
Katrina White-Comissiong, Vitelco's public relations director, verified that the switch is due to be installed in St. Thomas the end of March. Brunt said chamber members are very concerned that they are going to have a repeat of last year's telephone problems that never got solved until January or February.
"The season is over by March or April," Brunt said.
Comissiong said the problem is not money. "We try to anticipate problems at peak times," Comissiong said. "Last year we ordered additional circuits in August. They didn't arrive until January."
She said additional circuits have been ordered and is hopeful that with the help of Puerto Rico Telephone Co. and AT&T Virgin Islands, the process will be expedited.
With the circuits currently available, 336 outbound 1-800 calls can be processed simultaneously, according to Comissiong. With the new two new T-1 lines, the capacity will increase to 378.
The chamber's other concern, Brunt said, is that the Puerto Rico phone company does not have the ability to service this community.
Brunt said Vitelco's tests indicate the company has had a 17 percent failure rate in a 24-hour period. Brunt said the Chamber wants Vitelco to calculate its failure rate between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. — peak business hours.
Comissiong said the tests were done a few weeks ago when serious problems began to surface.
Brunt said the chamber has asked for another meeting next Tuesday, Jan. 5, to give Vitelco time to assess the situation and come up with some concrete solutions.
A representative of A.H. Riise who attended the meeting said the ongoing phone problems — especially the breakdown in 800 service — were a huge issue for retailers , especially in view of the bogus credit cards that may be circulating.
"It's not such a problem for us, because we sell perfume and liquor — small ticket items. But with the Rolex store, it's a different situation." The Riise representative, who asked not to be named, said the store's employees try to verify transactions by cellular phone on large purchases, but that doesn't always work either.
If you cannot verify a transaction, putting it through without electronic verification makes merchants susceptible to fraud.
Brunt said one retailer at the meeting lost a $40,000 sale due to lack of phone lines.
Editor's note: See earlier story for background on the island's recurring telephone problems.

Dates for the V.I. Health Department's division of emergency medical
services' emergency vehicle operators course for EMTs are set for January.
The program will be conducted in two sessions. Classroom-based training
will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., from Jan. 12 to 21.
The driving range courses are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23, and Sunday, Jan 24.
Emergency medical technicians planning to participate must register by calling the EMS office at the Roy L. Schneider Hospital at 776-8311.