A Mini Carnival will be held at the Baa Library. Youth groups and children with adults are invited to join the fun. The fun will include the Lockhart Elementary School Pantomime group, Gospel Choir and Quadrille dancers; Antilles School Mocko Jumbie Bacchanal, a puppeteer, steel band; stories, face painting, refreshments and Nicky "Mighty Whitey" Russell.
Kids Cope and the Friends of the Library are promoting a safe carnival for all.
For information contact Diane Moody, Baa Library at 774-0630 or dmoody4345@yahoo.com

March 29, 2002 – Just because you adore film director Robert Altman doesn't necessarily mean "Gosford Park" is your cup of tea. Nor, if you happen not to like the film director's work, should you necessarily stay away.
This is the quintessential "period piece," with magnificent sets, extravagant costuming, a smug post-war/pre-war patina and outrageous posturing by an ensemble cast that's to die for. As one of its number does midway through the movie.
The film's action, such as it is, takes place in 1932 at Gosford, the English country estate of Sir William McCordle and his considerably younger wife, Lady Sylvia, who have invited friends, family, a matinee idol and a visiting Yankee film producer to a weekend hunting party. The hunt itself — for men only, of course — is rather an afterthought in the three-day excursion through the "upstairs" and "downstairs" halls and pitfalls of the manor life.
It's hard to care much about any of the characters among either the gentry or those "in service," but that may be in large part because American ears need half the running time to get attuned to all those multiple-class U.K. accents, at least one of which, it turns out, is fake. Perhaps for this reason, the highest humor comes from Bob Balaban — who co-conceived the film with Altman — as the Hollywood maker of "Charlie Chan" movies who is in England to scout out locations for his next picture. There were no cellular phones in 1932, but if there had been, this guy would have walked with at least two.
Altman's take on England in that era is that everybody, high and humble, smokes cigarettes — except for a buffoonish police inspector who smokes a pipe, or would if he could keep it lighted. Altman also seems to have concluded that the f-word was the standard expletive among both upper and lower classes; while it's never been heard in an authentic '30s film, it's all over the place in "Gosford Park."
Although the cast includes two real-life "Sirs" and two real "Dames," most of the actors, aside from Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren (both nominated for best supporting actress Oscars) and Alan Bates, are not that familiar to U.S. audiences. Most impressive are Kelly Macdonald, who plays the in-service ingenue; Clive Owen, her romantic interest; and Emily Watson, as a savvy and free-thinking maid. Kristin Scott Thomas is stunning as a Dietrich lookalike. And give Ryan Philippe a few more outings like this (as the film producer's Scottish manservant, or so it seems) and he'll have Leo DiCaprio looking for work.
The film won the Oscar for best original screenplay. It was nominated for best film, as was Altman for best director. As to the story line, it doesn't much matter. The film is the best and the worst of "Upstairs/Downstairs" meets "Murder on the Orient Express," and it leaves off pretty much where it starts, "stiff upper lip" being the modus vivendi of the servants as well as those they serve — and sometimes service. If the denouement escapes you and you really care, you can always go back and see it a second time.
The film is rated R. It's playing at Market Square East.

Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

March 29, 2002 – Just because you adore film director Robert Altman doesn't necessarily mean "Gosford Park" is your cup of tea. Nor, if you happen not to like the film director's work, should you necessarily stay away.
This is the quintessential "period piece," with magnificent sets, extravagant costuming, a smug post-war/pre-war patina and outrageous posturing by an ensemble cast that's to die for. As one of its number does midway through the movie.
The film's action, such as it is, takes place in 1932 at Gosford, the English country estate of Sir William McCordle and his considerably younger wife, Lady Sylvia, who have invited friends, family, a matinee idol and a visiting Yankee film producer to a weekend hunting party. The hunt itself — for men only, of course — is rather an afterthought in the three-day excursion through the "upstairs" and "downstairs" halls and pitfalls of the manor life.
It's hard to care much about any of the characters among either the gentry or those "in service," but that may be in large part because American ears need half the running time to get attuned to all those multiple-class U.K. accents, at least one of which, it turns out, is fake. Perhaps for this reason, the highest humor comes from Bob Balaban — who co-conceived the film with Altman — as the Hollywood maker of "Charlie Chan" movies who is in England to scout out locations for his next picture. There were no cellular phones in 1932, but if there had been, this guy would have walked with at least two.
Altman's take on England in that era is that everybody, high and humble, smokes cigarettes — except for a buffoonish police inspector who smokes a pipe, or would if he could keep it lighted. Altman also seems to have concluded that the f-word was the standard expletive among both upper and lower classes; while it's never been heard in an authentic '30s film, it's all over the place in "Gosford Park."
Although the cast includes two real-life "Sirs" and two real "Dames," most of the actors, aside from Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren (both nominated for best supporting actress Oscars) and Alan Bates, are not that familiar to U.S. audiences. Most impressive are Kelly Macdonald, who plays the in-service ingenue; Clive Owen, her romantic interest; and Emily Watson, as a savvy and free-thinking maid. Kristin Scott Thomas is stunning as a Dietrich lookalike. And give Ryan Philippe a few more outings like this (as the film producer's Scottish manservant, or so it seems) and he'll have Leo DiCaprio looking for work.
"Gosford Park" won the Oscar for best original screenplay. It was nominated for best picture, as was Altman for best director. As to the story line, it doesn't much matter. The film is the best and the worst of "Upstairs/Downstairs" meets "Murder on the Orient Express," and it leaves off pretty much where it starts, "stiff upper lip" being the modus vivendi of the servants as well as those they serve — and sometimes service. If the denouement escapes you and you really care, you can always go back and see it a second time.
The movie is rated R. It's playing at Market Square East on St. Thomas.

Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

March 29, 2002 – John Haracivet and his crew aboard Tempest, his 38-foot Beneteau, were comfortable. They had plenty of ice, cold drinks and shade. "We weren't like some of the boats with that just baked out there," he said, after racing was canceled due to breathless calm the first official day of the 29th annual International Rolex Regatta.
The cancellation followed Thursday's decision to call off the inaugural running of the one-day, pre-Rolex Governor's Trophy Race, also for lack of wind.
Only twice before in the history of the Easter weekend regatta had race days been called off. "It's amazing that, before yesterday, we had only lost one other race to light air and one to too much air over the course of all these years," regatta director Chuck Ollinger said. "The good thing is that tomorrow is another day, and we have two days left for racing."
Sailors aboard the 78 competing yachts hailing from the Virgin Islands, surrounding Caribbean islands, the U.S. mainland and Europe by and large took the two-hour wait for wind Friday morning in stride. Psyched anticipation segued into a laid-back party spirit as Puerto Rico's Michael Serralles led the revelry aboard his J/120 Don Q Rum, swaying to a salsa beat and starting a conga line of boats attached by towlines as they wound around the committee boat looking for signs of impending action.
Crew aboard five Hobie 16s from Puerto Rico, including Inabon with Alfredo Figueroa and his wife aboard and Flywind carrying their sons Alfredo and Francisco, drummed rhythmically aboard their hulls while chanting: "Wind, wind, wind."
Swimmers Jamie Thomas and Jai Campbell took the dive off Solmate, Bill Strandhagen's Pearson 365 from St. Petersburg, Fla., that is competing in the Fun Class. "We're glad to be here even if there isn't any wind," Strandhagen said. "It's a beautiful day."

Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

March 29, 2002 – John Haracivet and his crew aboard Tempest, his 38-foot Beneteau, were comfortable. They had plenty of ice, cold drinks and shade. "We weren't like some of the boats with that just baked out there," he said, after racing was canceled due to breathless calm the first official day of the 29th annual International Rolex Regatta.
The cancellation followed Thursday's decision to call off the inaugural running of the one-day, pre-Rolex Governor's Trophy Race, also for lack of wind.
Only twice before in the history of the Easter weekend regatta had race days been called off. "It's amazing that, before yesterday, we had only lost one other race to light air and one to too much air over the course of all these years," regatta director Chuck Ollinger said. "The good thing is that tomorrow is another day, and we have two days left for racing."
Sailors aboard the 78 competing yachts hailing from the Virgin Islands, surrounding Caribbean islands, the U.S. mainland and Europe by and large took the two-hour wait for wind Friday morning in stride. Psyched anticipation segued into a laid-back party spirit as Puerto Rico's Michael Serralles led the revelry aboard his J/120 Don Q Rum, swaying to a salsa beat and starting a conga line of boats attached by towlines as they wound around the committee boat looking for signs of impending action.
Crew aboard five Hobie 16s from Puerto Rico, including Inabon with Alfredo Figueroa and his wife aboard and Flywind carrying their sons Alfredo and Francisco, drummed rhythmically aboard their hulls while chanting: "Wind, wind, wind."
Swimmers Jamie Thomas and Jai Campbell took the dive off Solmate, Bill Strandhagen's Pearson 365 from St. Petersburg, Fla., that is competing in the Fun Class. "We're glad to be here even if there isn't any wind," Strandhagen said. "It's a beautiful day."

Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

March 29, 2002 – John Haracivet and his crew aboard Tempest, his 38-foot Beneteau, were comfortable. They had plenty of ice, cold drinks and shade. "We weren't like some of the boats with that just baked out there," he said, after racing was canceled due to breathless calm the first official day of the 29th annual International Rolex Regatta.
The cancellation followed Thursday's decision to call off the inaugural running of the one-day, pre-Rolex Governor's Trophy Race, also for lack of wind.
Only twice before in the history of the Easter weekend regatta had race days been called off. "It's amazing that, before yesterday, we had only lost one other race to light air and one to too much air over the course of all these years," regatta director Chuck Ollinger said. "The good thing is that tomorrow is another day, and we have two days left for racing."
Sailors aboard the 78 competing yachts hailing from the Virgin Islands, surrounding Caribbean islands, the U.S. mainland and Europe by and large took the two-hour wait for wind Friday morning in stride. Psyched anticipation segued into a laid-back party spirit as Puerto Rico's Michael Serralles led the revelry aboard his J/120 Don Q Rum, swaying to a salsa beat and starting a conga line of boats attached by towlines as they wound around the committee boat looking for signs of impending action.
Crew aboard five Hobie 16s from Puerto Rico, including Inabon with Alfredo Figueroa and his wife aboard and Flywind carrying their sons Alfredo and Francisco, drummed rhythmically aboard their hulls while chanting: "Wind, wind, wind."
Swimmers Jamie Thomas and Jai Campbell took the dive off Solmate, Bill Strandhagen's Pearson 365 from St. Petersburg, Fla., that is competing in the Fun Class. "We're glad to be here even if there isn't any wind," Strandhagen said. "It's a beautiful day."

Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

March 28, 2002 – While the V.I. National Park Visitor's Center has been open for nearly two years, the park is holding the official dedication ceremony from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday. The public is invited.
"It's primarily to signal the completion of the whole thing," Superintendent John King said.
While the park held an open house when the center opened in June 2000 and a similar event when new exhibits arrived last December, it has not held any formal ceremonies. King said landscaping has been added since the last open house.
Thursday's event will include a tour of the facility, located at the Creek in Cruz Bay. The building also houses the park's administrative offices and facilities for enforcement and interpretive divisions.
King said he expects Delegate Donna Christian Christensen, Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, St. John Administrator Julien Harley, Friends of the National Park President Joe Kessler, and the National Park Service's regional director, Jerry Belson, to speak.
Construction on the $3.4 million center began in 1999. It is built on the footprint of the old visitor center, which was torn down to make way for the new.
The exhibits focus on the park's major themes -– the natural history of its flora and fauna as well as its cultural history. They include sections on the sea, the land and the people who historically inhabited the island -– the Amerindians, early Europeans and enslaved and free Africans — and the subsistence economy that existed until the 1950s.
If you miss the dedication ceremony, you can view the exhibits and ask park rangers questions from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

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March 29, 2002 – Joseph Thomas, Water and Power Authority executive director, calls Tuesday's action by a group of disgruntled WAPA employees an "unfortunate method of trying to resolve issues."
Some 35 employees demonstrated outside WAPA's Sub Base headquarters all morning, demanding an audience with the WAPA board, which was meeting inside, or with Thomas. The board voted not to come out to speak with them. Gov. Charles W. Turnbull was called, came to the site around noon, listened to the employees and then met with the board. When their demand still was not met, about 30 of the workers entered the building, went upstairs and stormed the board room, where they voiced their grievances for about 45 minutes. (See "WAPA workers take their complaints to the top".)
One of the employees' complaints was that Thomas is "inaccessible." Thomas said Thursday that the protesters had not availed themselves of the avenues of access that by agreement between labor and management are available. "The grievance process was ignored, and that was admitted to by the union president," he said. "When I asked if he [Hubert Turnbull] had exhausted the routes available to him, he admitted he had not; so, they basically bypassed the union process."
Thomas continued, "It's not as though we have been approached and have denied [the workers] access. We had a meeting set up with one of the union heads. We waited, and he never showed."
He added, "You know when the employees worked around the clock when we had the major power outage earlier this year, we had the linemen up here for a breakfast to thank them."
Thomas said his management team is "more committed than any other I have ever worked with, working 12 to 15 hours a day with the different issues in front of us." He said he isn't certain the meeting with employees scheduled for next Wednesday is the correct way to proceed, but it was approved by the board members present Tuesday, largely to bring closure to the demonstrators' intrusion.
The protesters charged that retiring employees haven't been replaced and that contract workers are sometimes hired. Thomas said that is not accurate. The reason for not replacing those who retire, he said, is that he foresees a downturn in the economy this year and is preparing for it.
"We are seeing lower sales now; we are expecting a drop-off in water sales in the last two months of this fiscal year and a decline in electric consumption. You plan for it," he said. "You run a little lean and pay a little more overtime and, overall, you keep the price down. The jobs we haven't filled amount to about a $4 million savings, and about $700,000 to $800,000 overtime."
The purpose of this procedure, he said, is to keep the current employees through the lean times and not be forced to lay anybody off until the economy improves. The alternative would result in layoffs, and "we want to avoid that," he said.
As for contract workers, he said, "They afford us the ability to pull the plug when we don't need them, without laying off full-time employees. Sometimes you need certain specific skills for a specific period of time, and that's what we've been doing. With the combination of contract workers and overtime, we are able to keep our employees, and we can be flexible.
"The real advantage," he said, "is that we haven't got people on our payroll we'd have to lay off if the downturn occurs. We are quietly evaluating positions as they come up. As the market gets better and revenues get stronger, positions will be filled." He added, "No critical positions have been left unfilled."
The employees' complaint about contract workers had to do specifically with WAPA's request for proposals (RFP) put out to fill positions for the additional work it is taking on now that responsibility for the territory's street lights has been transferred to the utility from the Public Works Department. "We don't know in which way our money is going to come to finance that program," Thomas said, and so for now, "We don't think it's responsible to use our own employees for it." He said WAPA "hasn't seen a dime of the funds legislated for the program yet."

Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

March 29, 2002 – Joseph Thomas, Water and Power Authority executive director, calls Tuesday's action by a group of disgruntled WAPA employees an "unfortunate method of trying to resolve issues."
Some 35 employees demonstrated outside WAPA's Sub Base headquarters all morning, demanding an audience with the WAPA board, which was meeting inside, or with Thomas. The board voted not to come out to speak with them. Gov. Charles W. Turnbull was called, came to the site around noon, listened to the employees and then met with the board. When their demand still was not met, about 30 of the workers entered the building, went upstairs and stormed the board room, where they voiced their grievances for about 45 minutes. (See "WAPA workers take their complaints to the top".)
One of the employees' complaints was that Thomas is "inaccessible." Thomas said Thursday that the protesters had not availed themselves of the avenues of access that by agreement between labor and management are available. "The grievance process was ignored, and that was admitted to by the union president," he said. "When I asked if he [Hubert Turnbull] had exhausted the routes available to him, he admitted he had not; so, they basically bypassed the union process."
Thomas continued, "It's not as though we have been approached and have denied [the workers] access. We had a meeting set up with one of the union heads. We waited, and he never showed."
He added, "You know when the employees worked around the clock when we had the major power outage earlier this year, we had the linemen up here for a breakfast to thank them."
Thomas said his management team is "more committed than any other I have ever worked with, working 12 to 15 hours a day with the different issues in front of us." He said he isn't certain the meeting with employees scheduled for next Wednesday is the correct way to proceed, but it was approved by the board members present Tuesday, largely to bring closure to the demonstrators' intrusion.
The protesters charged that retiring employees haven't been replaced and that contract workers are sometimes hired. Thomas said that is not accurate. The reason for not replacing those who retire, he said, is that he foresees a downturn in the economy this year and is preparing for it.
"We are seeing lower sales now; we are expecting a drop-off in water sales in the last two months of this fiscal year and a decline in electric consumption. You plan for it," he said. "You run a little lean and pay a little more overtime and, overall, you keep the price down. The jobs we haven't filled amount to about a $4 million savings, and about $700,000 to $800,000 overtime."
The purpose of this procedure, he said, is to keep the current employees through the lean times and not be forced to lay anybody off until the economy improves. The alternative would result in layoffs, and "we want to avoid that," he said.
As for contract workers, he said, "They afford us the ability to pull the plug when we don't need them, without laying off full-time employees. Sometimes you need certain specific skills for a specific period of time, and that's what we've been doing. With the combination of contract workers and overtime, we are able to keep our employees, and we can be flexible.
"The real advantage," he said, "is that we haven't got people on our payroll we'd have to lay off if the downturn occurs. We are quietly evaluating positions as they come up. As the market gets better and revenues get stronger, positions will be filled." He added, "No critical positions have been left unfilled."
The employees' complaint about contract workers had to do specifically with WAPA's request for proposals (RFP) put out to fill positions for the additional work it is taking on now that responsibility for the territory's street lights has been transferred to the utility from the Public Works Department. "We don't know in which way our money is going to come to finance that program," Thomas said, and so for now, "We don't think it's responsible to use our own employees for it." He said WAPA "hasn't seen a dime of the funds legislated for the program yet."

Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

March 29, 2002 – Joseph Thomas, Water and Power Authority executive director, calls Tuesday's action by a group of disgruntled WAPA employees an "unfortunate method of trying to resolve issues."
Some 35 employees demonstrated outside WAPA's Sub Base headquarters all morning, demanding an audience with the WAPA board, which was meeting inside, or with Thomas. The board voted not to come out to speak with them. Gov. Charles W. Turnbull was called, came to the site around noon, listened to the employees and then met with the board. When their demand still was not met, about 30 of the workers entered the building, went upstairs and stormed the board room, where they voiced their grievances for about 45 minutes. (See "WAPA workers take their complaints to the top".)
One of the employees' complaints was that Thomas is "inaccessible." Thomas said Thursday that the protesters had not availed themselves of the avenues of access that by agreement between labor and management are available. "The grievance process was ignored, and that was admitted to by the union president," he said. "When I asked if he [Hubert Turnbull] had exhausted the routes available to him, he admitted he had not; so, they basically bypassed the union process."
Thomas continued, "It's not as though we have been approached and have denied [the workers] access. We had a meeting set up with one of the union heads. We waited, and he never showed."
He added, "You know when the employees worked around the clock when we had the major power outage earlier this year, we had the linemen up here for a breakfast to thank them."
Thomas said his management team is "more committed than any other I have ever worked with, working 12 to 15 hours a day with the different issues in front of us." He said he isn't certain the meeting with employees scheduled for next Wednesday is the correct way to proceed, but it was approved by the board members present Tuesday, largely to bring closure to the demonstrators' intrusion.
The protesters charged that retiring employees haven't been replaced and that contract workers are sometimes hired. Thomas said that is not accurate. The reason for not replacing those who retire, he said, is that he foresees a downturn in the economy this year and is preparing for it.
"We are seeing lower sales now; we are expecting a drop-off in water sales in the last two months of this fiscal year and a decline in electric consumption. You plan for it," he said. "You run a little lean and pay a little more overtime and, overall, you keep the price down. The jobs we haven't filled amount to about a $4 million savings, and about $700,000 to $800,000 overtime."
The purpose of this procedure, he said, is to keep the current employees through the lean times and not be forced to lay anybody off until the economy improves. The alternative would result in layoffs, and "we want to avoid that," he said.
As for contract workers, he said, "They afford us the ability to pull the plug when we don't need them, without laying off full-time employees. Sometimes you need certain specific skills for a specific period of time, and that's what we've been doing. With the combination of contract workers and overtime, we are able to keep our employees, and we can be flexible.
"The real advantage," he said, "is that we haven't got people on our payroll we'd have to lay off if the downturn occurs. We are quietly evaluating positions as they come up. As the market gets better and revenues get stronger, positions will be filled." He added, "No critical positions have been left unfilled."
The employees' complaint about contract workers had to do specifically with WAPA's request for proposals (RFP) put out to fill positions for the additional work it is taking on now that responsibility for the territory's street lights has been transferred to the utility from the Public Works Department. "We don't know in which way our money is going to come to finance that program," Thomas said, and so for now, "We don't think it's responsible to use our own employees for it." He said WAPA "hasn't seen a dime of the funds legislated for the program yet."

Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.