Rotary Club of St. John will have Cecil Benjamin, commissioner of Labor, as guest speaker at 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, at Westin Resort's Beach Cafe.

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Rotary Club of St. John will have Cecil Benjamin, Commissioner of Labor, as the guest speaker at Friday's meeting at Westin Resort's Beach Cafe.

A regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Virgin islands Housing Authority is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at the Central Offices of the Authority in Aureo Diaz Heights, St. Croix.

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A regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Virgin Islands Housing Authority is scheduled to be held at the Central Offices of the Authority in Aureo Heights, St. Croix.

April 2, 2002 – Rodney E. Miller is a "good fit" for chief executive officer at Roy L. Schneider Hospital, according to the medical care facility's board chair, Beverly Chongasing.
"He's a very bright individual and we liked his philosophy," Chongasing said Tuesday.
Miller is expected to arrive in mid-May to take over the job left vacant when Eugene Woods resigned last August.
Miller is administrator for cardiovascular/medicine services at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia. He manages a $70 million operating budget and oversees numerous divisions and physicians at the center, which is part of a two-state healthcare organization serving southeastern Georgia and southern South Carolina.
He did not return several telephone messages left throughout Tuesday afternoon.
In a press release distributed by the hospital, Miller said he is excited at the prospect of working with the Schneider Hospital staff members as they enter a new millennium of providing quality health care to the people of the Virgin Islands.
As CEO of Schneider Hospital, Miller also will oversee the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center on St. John, which falls under the hospital's administration.
Schneider Hospital spokesman Amos Carty said Miller has a master of science degree in health services administration from Central Michigan University and a bachelor of science in health care management from Park College in Parkville, Missouri.
Chongasing described Miller as a young, up-and-coming health professional with a proven track record. Carty said that he is in his mid-30s. Chongasing declined to provide his salary.
She said that since Woods' departure the board had interviewed numerous candidates for the top administrative post. It finally narrowed the field down to three and then selected Miller. "It got down to who would fit better," she said.

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April 2, 2002 – The main sewage treatment plant on St. Thomas is undergoing repairs that Public Works Department officials say will allow them to end the practice of releasing partially treated sewage into the sea.
The Airport Lagoon plant near Cyril E. King Airport has not met federal Environmental Protection Agency guidelines since the early 1990s. The partially treated sewage is released into deep water south of St. Thomas and dispersed by strong currents. Problems at the plant have led to a few closings of the nearby Brewers Bay beach.
Early Tuesday morning, workers at the plant installed equipment that will allow the diversion of wastewater into a temporary sewage treatment system, according to Sonya Nelthropp, Public Works senior manager for federal compliance projects. Next week, workers will begin to drain the settling pond and remove sludge, and then begin installing new aerators and other equipment.
"It's a big job," Nelthropp said. "We're making significant progress, but we'd fallen so far behind on maintenance." For years, she said, the department did not have funding to maintain the territory's sewage treatment plants properly.
The airport plant repairs are expected to cost $800,000 and take until December to complete, she said. Then, the plant is expected to meet EPA requirements.
The wastewater treatment facility and others on St. John and St. Croix have been under a federal court order since 1991 to conform to EPA requirements, Jim Casey, the EPA's Virgin Islands coordinator, said. Repair work begun at plants on all three islands earlier this year represents the first significant progress toward meeting the requirements, he said.
"This is a tremendous step forward" Casey said. "These plants have not been in compliance for many years."
He noted that problems in pump stations such as the LBJ station on St. Croix have led to frequent releases of raw sewage into the Christiansted harbor. EPA inspectors have seen a decline in those sewage releases in recent months and are pleased with the progress of repairs on all three islands, he added.
Last year, District Judge Thomas Moore threatened to hold Gov. Charles W. Turnbull in contempt of court if he did not take steps to repair the sewage treatment plants. Turnbull said at the time that the judge was right in pushing the territory to meet environmental standards.
Since then, about $4.2 million has been earmarked for upgrading the sewage plants, Nelthropp said.

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April 2, 2002 – Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen abruptly recessed Tuesday afternoon's Senate Finance Committee meeting after Ira Mills, director of the Office of Management Budget, failed to appear by the roll call at about 1:20 p.m., 10 minutes after the meeting was called to order.
On the meeting agenda was review of five proposed appropriation transfers. No testimony was taken.
"The OMB director is the fiscal officer of the Virgin Islands" and as such is required to finalize the transfer of government funds, Hansen said. She told those who were present to testify that she sympathized with their plight, but that she would conduct business appropriately.
The failure of Mills to appear came 11 days after senators first learned that the executive branch had decided to enforce an until-then largely ignored directive from Gov. Charles W. Turnbull last August. The governor, in response to his top officials being kept cooling their heels at the Legislature time and again, waiting for hours to be called to testify, decreed that henceforth Senate "invitations" for administration officials to appear would have to be cleared in advance with the Office of the Governor.
On March 18, Attorney General Iver Stridiron wrote to Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd stating that the directive was in force. On March 21, "invited" Coastal Zone Management officials failed to appear to testify at a Planning and Environmental Protection Committee hearing. The next day, "invited" police authorities did not show up at a Government Operations Committee meeting.
Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull, who was among those present for the Tuesday afternoon committee meeting, said she had spoken to Mills in the morning and he had said nothing about attending the session. Hansen verified that correspondence was sent March 26 "inviting" him to testify and that a return receipt was signed by an OMB clerk.
The appropriation transfers are necessary for departments to continue day-to-day operations, Hansen said, adding that the affected government departments need Mills' approval "because they have an itemized budget."
The appropriation transfers are for the Office of Collective Bargaining, Finance Department, Board of Education and Internal Revenue Bureau.
The Finance Department is seeking two transfers, of $150,000 and $459.389. "This delay certainly affects me," Bernice Turnbull said. "Since Sept.11, we've had to back up a lot of our records. We've been awaiting funds for homeland security measures."
Other invited witnesses present were Karen Andrews, chief labor negotiator; Evadney Hodge, Board of Education executive director; and Louis Willis, Internal Revenue Bureau director. All had traveled to St. Croix from St. Thomas to testify with the hope of returning home with supplemental budget funds approved.
Hodge said she was unsure if she would be able to return for the next committee meeting. "We don't even have tickets to travel next week," she said. "It affects us terribly." The basic transfer sought by the Board of Education is to help pay for security services at its offices on St. Thomas.
About 10 minutes after Hansen recessed the hearing, Willis told her that he had reached Mills, who said he could catch a flight and get to St. Croix within an hour. That was not acceptable to her. "He has not submitted any excuse not to appear," she said. "I will hope that you all will look at Mr. Mills and tell him that in this committee we will do things right. The commissioner of OMB will not ignore this committee."
Hansen said she would rescheduled the hearing in seven days. She said she would have to give the media seven days' notice before she could reconvene the meeting.
Stridiron, in his March 18 letter to Liburd, said that if the Legislature were to subpoena officials to testify, he would direct them to appear and state their name, title and department but say nothing more.
The Planning and Environment Protection Committee voted to subpoena three CZM officials to appear at a meeting next month. The Government Operations Committee, which is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning on St. Croix, has subpoenaed Mills, Bernice Turnbull, chief labor negotiator Karen Andrews, acting Personnel Division director Kevin Rodriquez and five top police officials.

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April 2, 2002 – Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen abruptly recessed Tuesday afternoon's Senate Finance Committee meeting after Ira Mills, director of the Office of Management Budget, failed to appear by the roll call at about 1:20 p.m., 10 minutes after the meeting was called to order.
On the meeting agenda was review of five proposed appropriation transfers. No testimony was taken.
"The OMB director is the fiscal officer of the Virgin Islands" and as such is required to finalize the transfer of government funds, Hansen said. She told those who were present to testify that she sympathized with their plight, but that she would conduct business appropriately.
The failure of Mills to appear came 11 days after senators first learned that the executive branch had decided to enforce an until-then largely ignored directive from Gov. Charles W. Turnbull last August. The governor, in response to his top officials being kept cooling their heels at the Legislature time and again, waiting for hours to be called to testify, decreed that henceforth Senate "invitations" for administration officials to appear would have to be cleared in advance with the Office of the Governor.
On March 18, Attorney General Iver Stridiron wrote to Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd stating that the directive was in force. On March 21, "invited" Coastal Zone Management officials failed to appear to testify at a Planning and Environmental Protection Committee hearing. The next day, "invited" police authorities did not show up at a Government Operations Committee meeting.
Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull, who was among those present for the Tuesday afternoon committee meeting, said she had spoken to Mills in the morning and he had said nothing about attending the session. Hansen verified that correspondence was sent March 26 "inviting" him to testify and that a return receipt was signed by an OMB clerk.
The appropriation transfers are necessary for departments to continue day-to-day operations, Hansen said, adding that the affected government departments need Mills' approval "because they have an itemized budget."
The appropriation transfers are for the Office of Collective Bargaining, Finance Department, Board of Education and Internal Revenue Bureau.
The Finance Department is seeking two transfers, of $150,000 and $459.389. "This delay certainly affects me," Bernice Turnbull said. "Since Sept.11, we've had to back up a lot of our records. We've been awaiting funds for homeland security measures."
Other invited witnesses present were Karen Andrews, chief labor negotiator; Evadney Hodge, Board of Education executive director; and Louis Willis, Internal Revenue Bureau director. All had traveled to St. Croix from St. Thomas to testify with the hope of returning home with supplemental budget funds approved.
Hodge said she was unsure if she would be able to return for the next committee meeting. "We don't even have tickets to travel next week," she said. "It affects us terribly." The basic transfer sought by the Board of Education is to help pay for security services at its offices on St. Thomas.
About 10 minutes after Hansen recessed the hearing, Willis told her that he had reached Mills, who said he could catch a flight and get to St. Croix within an hour. That was not acceptable to her. "He has not submitted any excuse not to appear," she said. "I will hope that you all will look at Mr. Mills and tell him that in this committee we will do things right. The commissioner of OMB will not ignore this committee."
Hansen said she would rescheduled the hearing in seven days. She said she would have to give the media seven days' notice before she could reconvene the meeting.
Stridiron, in his March 18 letter to Liburd, said that if the Legislature were to subpoena officials to testify, he would direct them to appear and state their name, title and department but say nothing more.
The Planning and Environment Protection Committee voted to subpoena three CZM officials to appear at a meeting next month. The Government Operations Committee, which is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning on St. Croix, has subpoenaed Mills, Bernice Turnbull, chief labor negotiator Karen Andrews, acting Personnel Division director Kevin Rodriquez and five top police officials.

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April 2, 2002 – Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen abruptly recessed Tuesday afternoon's Senate Finance Committee meeting after Ira Mills, director of the Office of Management Budget, failed to appear by the roll call at about 1:20 p.m., 10 minutes after the meeting was called to order.
On the meeting agenda was review of five proposed appropriation transfers. No testimony was taken.
"The OMB director is the fiscal officer of the Virgin Islands" and as such is required to finalize the transfer of government funds, Hansen said. She told those who were present to testify that she sympathized with their plight, but that she would conduct business appropriately.
The failure of Mills to appear came 11 days after senators first learned that the executive branch had decided to enforce an until-then largely ignored directive from Gov. Charles W. Turnbull last August. The governor, in response to his top officials being kept cooling their heels at the Legislature time and again, waiting for hours to be called to testify, decreed that henceforth Senate "invitations" for administration officials to appear would have to be cleared in advance with the Office of the Governor.
On March 18, Attorney General Iver Stridiron wrote to Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd stating that the directive was in force. On March 21, "invited" Coastal Zone Management officials failed to appear to testify at a Planning and Environmental Protection Committee hearing. The next day, "invited" police authorities did not show up at a Government Operations Committee meeting.
Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull, who was among those present for the Tuesday afternoon committee meeting, said she had spoken to Mills in the morning and he had said nothing about attending the session. Hansen verified that correspondence was sent March 26 "inviting" him to testify and that a return receipt was signed by an OMB clerk.
The appropriation transfers are necessary for departments to continue day-to-day operations, Hansen said, adding that the affected government departments need Mills' approval "because they have an itemized budget."
The appropriation transfers are for the Office of Collective Bargaining, Finance Department, Board of Education and Internal Revenue Bureau.
The Finance Department is seeking two transfers, of $150,000 and $459.389. "This delay certainly affects me," Bernice Turnbull said. "Since Sept.11, we've had to back up a lot of our records. We've been awaiting funds for homeland security measures."
Other invited witnesses present were Karen Andrews, chief labor negotiator; Evadney Hodge, Board of Education executive director; and Louis Willis, Internal Revenue Bureau director. All had traveled to St. Croix from St. Thomas to testify with the hope of returning home with supplemental budget funds approved.
Hodge said she was unsure if she would be able to return for the next committee meeting. "We don't even have tickets to travel next week," she said. "It affects us terribly." The basic transfer sought by the Board of Education is to help pay for security services at its offices on St. Thomas.
About 10 minutes after Hansen recessed the hearing, Willis told her that he had reached Mills, who said he could catch a flight and get to St. Croix within an hour. That was not acceptable to her. "He has not submitted any excuse not to appear," she said. "I will hope that you all will look at Mr. Mills and tell him that in this committee we will do things right. The commissioner of OMB will not ignore this committee."
Hansen said she would rescheduled the hearing in seven days. She said she would have to give the media seven days' notice before she could reconvene the meeting.
Stridiron, in his March 18 letter to Liburd, said that if the Legislature were to subpoena officials to testify, he would direct them to appear and state their name, title and department but say nothing more.
The Planning and Environment Protection Committee voted to subpoena three CZM officials to appear at a meeting next month. The Government Operations Committee, which is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning on St. Croix, has subpoenaed Mills, Bernice Turnbull, chief labor negotiator Karen Andrews, acting Personnel Division director Kevin Rodriquez and five top police officials.

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April 2, 2002 – Edward E. Thomas, president of The West Indian Co., says Gov. Charles W. Turnbull issued a directive last month for WICO and the Port Authority to work together to develop the Crown Bay dock and shopping complex. Attorney General and Port Authority board member Iver Stridiron says it was a request, "which is different — it's not a directive."
Stridiron's fellow VIPA board members went with his interpretation Tuesday, voting unanimously with him for the Port Authority to develop Crown Bay on its own with no help from WICO or any other entity.
On March 13, Turnbull issued a release from Miami Beach, Fla., where he was attending the annual Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, saying he would instruct the Port Authority to cancel the letter of intent it entered into last summer with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Carnival Corp. Turnbull said that although the agreement "has many merits, I believe it is important that the V.I. maintain full control of its harbor and harbor development."
In the release, the governor said: "I have also instructed The West Indian Co. and the Virgin Islands Port Authority to work together on the rapid expansion and development of the Crown Bay port facilities in order to accommodate the growing needs of the cruise lines for additional berths in the Port of Charlotte Amalie." Further, the governor said he would instruct the two semi-autonomous agencies to "proceed quickly to undertake the work necessary to complete the upgrading of the berthing facilities."
The VIPA board invited Thomas to appear at its regular board meeting last week, but he did not do so. Instead, sent a letter to the board chair, Pamela Richards, saying he would not appear until he had written evidence that VIPA had informed the cruise lines that the deal with them was off. He said he would meet with the board "as soon as the necessary actions are taken."
The board then scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday to meet with the WICO chief executive. However, Thomas was not present at the start of Tuesday's meeting, either.
Richards called a recess of the meeting and left the board room several times with Gordon Finch, VIPA executive director. She then reconvened the board and presented a letter bearing her signature to both cruise lines informing them that the VIPA board had voted to terminate the letter of agreement it and the cruise lines had signed last summer. She faxed copies of the letter to Turnbull and to Thomas.
Soon thereafter, word came to the board that Thomas was on his way to the meeting.
Before his appearance, the board voted to reimburse the cruise lines for the money they had invested to date in the Crown Bay project and discussed the financing for the development.
Finch said net revenues in VIPA's marine division top $8 million annually. He said that figure is "far greater than the amount that would be needed to service a debt of $35 million." The cruise lines had announced their intent to invest $31 million — $15.5 million for the dock expansion and $15.5 million for the retail development. Finch said he boosted the figure by $4 million to cover any additional costs the Port Authority might incur. He said VIPA was "very capable of servicing that type of debt."
Thomas arrived shortly after noon. He read from a four-page statement. "We would be pleased to work with you to insure that the expanded dock is constructed expeditiously," he began. The lengthy statement outlined three options: for WICO to develop the project, for VIPA to do so, and for the two semi-autonomous agencies, which have a history of animosity, to form a joint venture to do so.
In a brief discussion following his statement, Thomas suggested the boards of the two entities set up a meeting to discuss the issue further. Stridiron then introduced a resolution for VIPA to develop Crown Bay on its own, and the resolution was adopted unanimously.
The resolution states, in part, that "VIPA, after diligent consideration and examination of its financial status, is certain that it can meet the financial obligations of said land-side development and dock improvement incurred by undertaking the project on its own." It specifies that VIPA "shall solely bear the cost of said development, whether by issuance of bonds or by financing provided by a lending institution at a sum not to exceed $31 million."
The resolution concludes with a statement that "any interested person or entity may submit suggestions and/or ideas to VIPA to allow for the broadest possible input in developing the area."
Stridiron said all that remained to be done was to send the resolution to the governor along with the proposed plans.
Before leaving the meeting, Thomas told the board of two conditions WICO would expect to be met:
— That WICO's authority to assign berths would be respected and would continue.
— That the retail center would be designed so as to avoid any detrimental impact on downtown and Havensight Mall commerce.
Stridiron's resolution did not address these concerns.
Richards said, "I'm glad we've decided to go forward, with or without a partner." She told Thomas VIPA would be in contact with the WICO board to get more detailed information and to "make sure some of your concerns are addressed."
Stridiron and Finch said steps would be taken to make the retail facility as "supplemental" as possible. Finch said the center would occupy about 32,000 square feet and would incorporate office space and shore-side amenities not in competition with those by the WICO docks.
WICO and downtown merchants had opposed the development plans of the two cruise lines, saying their project would take shoppers away from the downtown area and from the Havensight Mall, which WICO manages for the Government Employees Retirement System.
Finch said, "The thing we are most apprehensive about is the loss of a 30-year commitment with the cruise lines to call on the V.I." However, he added with respect to the planned development, "I believe if we construct it as envisioned by those cruise lines, they will come with the ships they are now building; even without the commitment, they will come in the same kind of numbers."
Commenting outside the board room, Thomas said he would wait for Richard to call before commenting further. "All we need is to put this together," he said, reiterating that "the governor issued a directive. It is crucial we follow his directive."
Asked about the lack of response to his condition of berthing authority, Thomas said there might be a "hidden agenda" on the Port Authority's part. He didn't elaborate.
He declined make copies of his prepared statement available to the news media

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