March 28, 2002 – Except for a few pockets on St. Thomas and St. Croix, it looks like the Easter Bunny brought plenty of visitors to the territory for the last of the winter season's big holiday weekends.
"We are busy, busy," said Julie Aleman, manager at the St. John Inn.
She said that she had two sets of guests leave early, but within 20 minutes walk-ins had filled the vacant rooms.
Caneel Bay Resort is filled up, and while the Westin Resort still has a few rooms available for Saturday, operations manager Graeme Davis said the hotel will run about 95 percent occupancy next week.
This winter, St. John hotels fared better than properties on St. Thomas and St. Croix, but many hoteliers across the territory said the winter turned out much better than they expected in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"It was not a banner year, but better than we had feared," said Chris Goodier, spokeswoman at the Buccaneer Hotel in St. Croix.
The Buccaneer has been filled up all week, with one night this week seeing even the last least-desirable room occupied.
Goodier said so many rooms are filled with families that the hotel's kids' camp has 60 participants at the moment. The hotel hires local high school students on spring break to serve as camp counselors. This provides jobs for the young people, she said, and also provides a way for the visiting children to learn about island culture. And, it leaves their parents free to do what they want unencumbered by their offspring.
Goodier said things will slow down for the next couple of weeks but pick up at the beginning of May for the St. Croix Half-Ironman Triathlon.
Divi Carina Bay Resort's $99 special local rate for Saturday and Sunday night has helped fill its rooms, but manager Bob Siefert said the hotel has plenty of off-island visitors, too. "They're playing, eating, drinking and spending money," he said, noting that a group of 30 had just headed off for a daysail to Buck Island.
Siefert put the hotel's occupancy at about 85 percent, which he said will continue into early next week. The Divi, too, has a lot of families, including free-spending teens, he said.
The small Pink Fancy Hotel hasn't fared as well this weekend as the larger St. Croix properties. With occupancy running about 50 percent, owner David Miller said the hotel was doing about the same as last year this time. "I'm not complaining," he said.
On St. Thomas, the small Island View Guest House had a similar story. Owner Norman Leater said the hotel has about a 60 percent occupancy for Easter, but it drops off to about 20 percent next week.
In contrast, the territory's largest property, Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort, is having a banner week. "We're sold out, and a lot of our counterparts are sold out," general manager Jayne Hiller said.
At the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort, manager David Yamada said the hotel is about 95 percent occupied. "Lots of great deals on packages and the American sale have been helpful," he said.
Hiller, who is president of the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association, and many other hoteliers said that many guests booked within the last month. Some, like Leater, even have arrivals call from the airport looking for a room. "It's not like it was 15 years ago," he said, referring to an era when hotels were booked up months in advance.
Siefert said the Internet has been a big boon for bookings, and at least half the hotel's reservations come about because of information found online. While travelers may call the hotel's reservations office once they've done their homework on the web, they're already convinced before they make the call that the Divi is where they want to stay.
While most hotels are doing well this weekend, their guests may be spending less on extras. Caneel Bay manager Brian Young said the resort's gift shop now sells more T-shirts and souvenirs than it used, and guests aren't buying as much high-end merchandise as they used to. And he said that while guests used to eat three times at Turtle Bay, the hotel's most expensive restaurant, they now eat there twice and go to an off-property restaurant or eat in the hotel's bar for the third meal.
Marty Pickholtz, owner of Prime Foods on St. Thomas agrees. His wholesale company sells to many of the island's restaurants. He said the less-expensive restaurants seem to be doing better than the higher-price ones. "People can fill up on a burger and chips as well as a rack of lamb dinner," Pickholtz said.
On the retail side, Nanda Dadlani, an owner of The English Shop on St. Thomas, said that some tourists don't buy the more expensive china and crystal, but they don't buy the inexpensive souvenirs, either. "They just come in and look," she said.
At the Fabric Mill on St. John, owner Trish Capuano said the entire winter season has been good. "The tourists seem to be here, and they're really buying," she said.

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 – UVI's Bulletin Board for this date provides information on these events:
Spanish Language Easter Program Offered
Professor Violeta Donovan, University of the Virgin Islands modern language coordinator, has produced and will host a Spanish-language Easter program on two local radio stations this weekend. "Melodías de Semana Santa" airs from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday on WSTA AM1300 and from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday on WGOD FM98 and AM1090.
Service Learning Workshops Offered
UVI will host two nationally known leaders in the service learning and civic engagement field in a series of free workshops from April 3 through April 5.
Sessions are planned on the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses. Faculty, students and representatives from community service agencies and non-profit organizations are encouraged to participate.
Presenting the workshops will be Lyvier Conss, executive director of Compact, a funding agency committed to engaging college students with community service, and Roger Henry, a service learning trainer with extensive experience in college-community involvement.
UVI's goal in sponsoring the workshops is to enhance the ways that the university addresses social issues, develops good citizenship, and provides meaningful learning opportunities for its students.
With nearly 30 years of experience in service learning programs, Henry is an authority on how universities can partner with community service and nonprofit agencies. Under his leadership, Brevard Community College has become a national model for service learning and community involvement innovation. He has engaged thousands of students and hundreds of agencies.
To register, contact Robin Groelle at 778-1620 ext. 3184 or email: rgroell@uvi.edu.
Workshops on the St. Croix Campus are planned as follows:
Wednesday, April 3
— 12:30 p.m. for students in the Student Activities Lounge
— 2 p.m. for faculty – "The Fundamentals of Course Construction – Incorporating Service Learning" – in the Research Extension Room 139
— 3 p.m. for Community Service Agencies – "Partnership Information" – in the
Research Extension Room 139
Workshops on the St. Thomas Campus, all in Education Building Room 216 and covering the same topics as the St. Croix workshops, are planned as follows:
— Thursday, April 4 – 2 p.m. for students
— Friday, April 5 – 10 a.m. for the Community Service Agencies
— Friday, April 5 – 11 a.m. for faculty
Boat Handling, Safety Class Scheduled
A course on small boat handling and safety is scheduled to begin Tuesday,
April 2, at 7 p.m. at the UVI Marine Science Center.
The course is open to the general public, as well as the UVI community.
Classes are set for Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 23. Capt. Tom McCoy of the VI Power Squadron will be the instructor.
Registration will be conducted at the first class meeting. A certificate will be presented upon completion of the course that will help in further boating endeavors. For details contact McCoy at 774-2715.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the website at www.uvi.edu.
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 – UVI's Bulletin Board for this date provides information on these events:
Spanish Language Easter Program Offered
Professor Violeta Donovan, University of the Virgin Islands modern language coordinator, has produced and will host a Spanish-language Easter program on two local radio stations this weekend. "Melodías de Semana Santa" airs from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday on WSTA AM1300 and from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday on WGOD FM98 and AM1090.
Service Learning Workshops Offered
UVI will host two nationally known leaders in the service learning and civic engagement field in a series of free workshops from April 3 through April 5.
Sessions are planned on the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses. Faculty, students and representatives from community service agencies and non-profit organizations are encouraged to participate.
Presenting the workshops will be Lyvier Conss, executive director of Compact, a funding agency committed to engaging college students with community service, and Roger Henry, a service learning trainer with extensive experience in college-community involvement.
UVI's goal in sponsoring the workshops is to enhance the ways that the university addresses social issues, develops good citizenship, and provides meaningful learning opportunities for its students.
With nearly 30 years of experience in service learning programs, Henry is an authority on how universities can partner with community service and nonprofit agencies. Under his leadership, Brevard Community College has become a national model for service learning and community involvement innovation. He has engaged thousands of students and hundreds of agencies.
To register, contact Robin Groelle at 778-1620 ext. 3184 or email: rgroell@uvi.edu.
Workshops on the St. Croix Campus are planned as follows:
Wednesday, April 3
— 12:30 p.m. for students in the Student Activities Lounge
— 2 p.m. for faculty – "The Fundamentals of Course Construction – Incorporating Service Learning" – in the Research Extension Room 139
— 3 p.m. for Community Service Agencies – "Partnership Information" – in the
Research Extension Room 139
Workshops on the St. Thomas Campus, all in Education Building Room 216 and covering the same topics as the St. Croix workshops, are planned as follows:
— Thursday, April 4 – 2 p.m. for students
— Friday, April 5 – 10 a.m. for the Community Service Agencies
— Friday, April 5 – 11 a.m. for faculty
Boat Handling, Safety Class Scheduled
A course on small boat handling and safety is scheduled to begin Tuesday,
April 2, at 7 p.m. at the UVI Marine Science Center.
The course is open to the general public, as well as the UVI community.
Classes are set for Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 23. Capt. Tom McCoy of the VI Power Squadron will be the instructor.
Registration will be conducted at the first class meeting. A certificate will be presented upon completion of the course that will help in further boating endeavors. For details contact McCoy at 774-2715.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the website at www.uvi.edu.
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 28, 2002 – UVI's Bulletin Board for this date provides information on these events:
Spanish Language Easter Program Offered
Professor Violeta Donovan, University of the Virgin Islands modern language coordinator, has produced and will host a Spanish-language Easter program on two local radio stations this weekend. "Melodías de Semana Santa" airs from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday on WSTA AM1300 and from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday on WGOD FM98 and AM1090.
Service Learning Workshops Offered
UVI will host two nationally known leaders in the service learning and civic engagement field in a series of free workshops from April 3 through April 5.
Sessions are planned on the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses. Faculty, students and representatives from community service agencies and non-profit organizations are encouraged to participate.
Presenting the workshops will be Lyvier Conss, executive director of Compact, a funding agency committed to engaging college students with community service, and Roger Henry, a service learning trainer with extensive experience in college-community involvement.
UVI's goal in sponsoring the workshops is to enhance the ways that the university addresses social issues, develops good citizenship, and provides meaningful learning opportunities for its students.
With nearly 30 years of experience in service learning programs, Henry is an authority on how universities can partner with community service and nonprofit agencies. Under his leadership, Brevard Community College has become a national model for service learning and community involvement innovation. He has engaged thousands of students and hundreds of agencies.
To register, contact Robin Groelle at 778-1620 ext. 3184 or email: rgroell@uvi.edu.
Workshops on the St. Croix Campus are planned as follows:
Wednesday, April 3
— 12:30 p.m. for students in the Student Activities Lounge
— 2 p.m. for faculty – "The Fundamentals of Course Construction – Incorporating Service Learning" – in the Research Extension Room 139
— 3 p.m. for Community Service Agencies – "Partnership Information" – in the
Research Extension Room 139
Workshops on the St. Thomas Campus, all in Education Building Room 216 and covering the same topics as the St. Croix workshops, are planned as follows:
— Thursday, April 4 – 2 p.m. for students
— Friday, April 5 – 10 a.m. for the Community Service Agencies
— Friday, April 5 – 11 a.m. for faculty
Boat Handling, Safety Class Scheduled
A course on small boat handling and safety is scheduled to begin Tuesday, April 2, at 7 p.m. at the UVI Marine Science Center.
The course is open to the general public, as well as the UVI community.
Classes are set for Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 23. Capt. Tom McCoy of the VI Power Squadron will be the instructor.
Registration will be conducted at the first class meeting. A certificate will be presented upon completion of the course that will help in further boating endeavors. For details contact McCoy at 774-2715.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the website at www.uvi.edu.
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.

EASTER FULL MOON
March 28, 2002 – Easter, one of the most sacred Christian holidays, is a spring celebration of the rebirth of Christ and of the spirit. At such an important time of year, this holiday had a long tradition that preceded Christianity, as a festival day for the Saxon goddess Eostre.
Easter changes annually, scheduled according to the Moon. Easter is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after spring equinox. The need to determine this date in advance led to serious astronomical observations and calendrics that were built into cathedrals. The meridiana was a marker line designed in the floors of many cathedrals to time the return of the sun to the equinox. A meridian line was laid out from north to south and a hhole in the roof was carefully positioned to catch sunlight in a way that would direct it to the meridiana at the proper time of year. Some were designed as more elaborate calendars.
THE EASTER BUNNY and EASTER EGG
Down here close to the equator, we are tilted toward the sky in such a way that we can easily see the Moon Rabbit. When I first saw this image, it was during the Easter Full Moon. I realized I was seeing the Easter bunny in the Easter egg! Indeed, the Moon-Hare was sacred to Eostre. Take a look for yourself. You'll see the rabbit in profile looking to the left, with its ears pointing to the upper right of the Moon's disk. If you are up north, tip your head and see if you can see it, too, resting inside the Easter egg of the Moon. There was a German saying that the Hare would lay eggs for good children on Easter Eve. So that's where those jelly beans and chocolate eggs come from!
Many peoples throughout the world have seen the Moon Rabbit, including the Mayans, Indians, Chinese and Japanese and Native Americans. The Hare has a rich tradition in mythic symbology. It represents the intuitive capacity to see into the spiritual essence of things, as the Moon lights the dark of the night with a luminous, subliminal awareness. Hare is sometimes associated with willing sacrifice, appropriate for the religious significance of Easter. The instinct of Hare is toward the spiritual, represented by the fire, into which he will jump.
Remember the White Rabbit that Alice followed down the hole into an altered time and space experience that changed her life. Often Rabbit or Hare has a trickster aspect, like Brer Rabbit or Bugs Bunny. The Anglo-Saxon word for hare is hara, which is also a Hindu term referring to the power center in the lower body.
FULLER FULL MOON
If it looks to you like the Moon is especially large, you are right. The Moon is at perigee, its closest approach to Earth, thus it does appear bigger than usual. This month, the Full Moon combines Sun sign Aries and Moon sign Libra.
Aries the Ram is the spring sign of new life, a fresh start. Sabian symbols give an image for each degree of the zodiac, like energy pictures. The Sabian symbol, suggesting an image for the Sun energy, emphasizes this sense of newness: A woman's hat, with streamers blown by the East Wind. Sounds like an Easter bonnet. East is the direction of new beginnings in Native American and other traditions.
Libra is the sign of the Scales, seeking balance, harmony and relationship.
The symbol for this Full Moon energy is: A fireplace blazes mysteriously in a deserted farmhouse. This suggests unexpected blessings and meetings choreographed by universal synchronicity, spiritual forces at work behind the scenes. What kind of story can you make up with those two images? Sometimes these Sabian symbols play out in life in literal ways. Wherever the Full Moon and Sun are aligned in your chart are where these mysterious forces are at work, where new developments are coming into your life.
A GRAND CROSS is made by the Sun and Moon crossing Jupiter and Chiron, an appropriate formation for this holiday. A cross is one of the most ancient symbols. It represents the grounding of spirit into matter, bringing Heaven to Earth.
JUPITER IN CANCER this year is reflecting the sensitivity, the generosity and kindness that has resulted from our national tragedy and our increased need for connecting with each other. Cancer seeks security, especially in home and family matters. Nurturing and growth-promoting, Jupiter in Cancer responds to the larger social need in a personal, caring way. It is as if we are pregnant with a growing need — for what? What are you feeling? You name it. Birth is imminent.
CHIRON IN CAPRICORN, on the opposite side of the sky, suggests that circumstances have changed and we cannot take things for granted. There is no going back to where we were before, which is what Cancer tends to try first. Chiron is a kind of minor planetoid that indicates thresholds and major passages. It brings up issues that need to be resolved or healed. Chiron takes 50 years to circle the Sun in its irregular orbit. It will take three years to move through Capricorn. This year is the first round — a big one.
The Greek teacher/healer Chiron reminds us that our reality is being reorganized. But by whom? Are you willing to take responsibility for your life? Government authority is taking charge like a runaway train. Pretend you are a potter (or a magical Harry Potter) at the wheel shaping the clay. This is a creative process. What new forms are needed in a time when we have outgrown the structures of the past? What is working in your life and what is not? This is the time to start moving forward again, into a future that we take moment by moment. The planets are lining up in increasingly potent combinations are we move on into the spring, remembering to enjoy.

Editor's note: St. John Star Lady Kelley Hunter is an internationally-known astrologer who tells stories in the stars under the tropical night sky. She is studying for a Ph.D. in world cosmologies. Contact her at 340-693-5839 or kellhunter@earthlink.net, for an astrology consultation, star-gazing schedule or to join her free email list. Check out her new website at www.heliastar.com.
M. Kelley Hunter, Astro-consultant and mythologist
PO Box 37, St. John, USVI 00831
1-888-7ALTAIR
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.

EASTER FULL MOON
March 28, 2002 – Easter, one of the most sacred Christian holidays, is a spring celebration of the rebirth of Christ and of the spirit. At such an important time of year, this holiday had a long tradition that preceded Christianity, as a festival day for the Saxon goddess Eostre.
Easter changes annually, scheduled according to the Moon. Easter is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after spring equinox. The need to determine this date in advance led to serious astronomical observations and calendrics that were built into cathedrals. The meridiana was a marker line designed in the floors of many cathedrals to time the return of the sun to the equinox. A meridian line was laid out from north to south and a hhole in the roof was carefully positioned to catch sunlight in a way that would direct it to the meridiana at the proper time of year. Some were designed as more elaborate calendars.
THE EASTER BUNNY and EASTER EGG
Down here close to the equator, we are tilted toward the sky in such a way that we can easily see the Moon Rabbit. When I first saw this image, it was during the Easter Full Moon. I realized I was seeing the Easter bunny in the Easter egg! Indeed, the Moon-Hare was sacred to Eostre. Take a look for yourself. You'll see the rabbit in profile looking to the left, with its ears pointing to the upper right of the Moon's disk. If you are up north, tip your head and see if you can see it, too, resting inside the Easter egg of the Moon. There was a German saying that the Hare would lay eggs for good children on Easter Eve. So that's where those jelly beans and chocolate eggs come from!
Many peoples throughout the world have seen the Moon Rabbit, including the Mayans, Indians, Chinese and Japanese and Native Americans. The Hare has a rich tradition in mythic symbology. It represents the intuitive capacity to see into the spiritual essence of things, as the Moon lights the dark of the night with a luminous, subliminal awareness. Hare is sometimes associated with willing sacrifice, appropriate for the religious significance of Easter. The instinct of Hare is toward the spiritual, represented by the fire, into which he will jump.
Remember the White Rabbit that Alice followed down the hole into an altered time and space experience that changed her life. Often Rabbit or Hare has a trickster aspect, like Brer Rabbit or Bugs Bunny. The Anglo-Saxon word for hare is hara, which is also a Hindu term referring to the power center in the lower body.
FULLER FULL MOON
If it looks to you like the Moon is especially large, you are right. The Moon is at perigee, its closest approach to Earth, thus it does appear bigger than usual. This month, the Full Moon combines Sun sign Aries and Moon sign Libra.
Aries the Ram is the spring sign of new life, a fresh start. Sabian symbols give an image for each degree of the zodiac, like energy pictures. The Sabian symbol, suggesting an image for the Sun energy, emphasizes this sense of newness: A woman's hat, with streamers blown by the East Wind. Sounds like an Easter bonnet. East is the direction of new beginnings in Native American and other traditions.
Libra is the sign of the Scales, seeking balance, harmony and relationship.
The symbol for this Full Moon energy is: A fireplace blazes mysteriously in a deserted farmhouse. This suggests unexpected blessings and meetings choreographed by universal synchronicity, spiritual forces at work behind the scenes. What kind of story can you make up with those two images? Sometimes these Sabian symbols play out in life in literal ways. Wherever the Full Moon and Sun are aligned in your chart are where these mysterious forces are at work, where new developments are coming into your life.
A GRAND CROSS is made by the Sun and Moon crossing Jupiter and Chiron, an appropriate formation for this holiday. A cross is one of the most ancient symbols. It represents the grounding of spirit into matter, bringing Heaven to Earth.
JUPITER IN CANCER this year is reflecting the sensitivity, the generosity and kindness that has resulted from our national tragedy and our increased need for connecting with each other. Cancer seeks security, especially in home and family matters. Nurturing and growth-promoting, Jupiter in Cancer responds to the larger social need in a personal, caring way. It is as if we are pregnant with a growing need — for what? What are you feeling? You name it. Birth is imminent.
CHIRON IN CAPRICORN, on the opposite side of the sky, suggests that circumstances have changed and we cannot take things for granted. There is no going back to where we were before, which is what Cancer tends to try first. Chiron is a kind of minor planetoid that indicates thresholds and major passages. It brings up issues that need to be resolved or healed. Chiron takes 50 years to circle the Sun in its irregular orbit. It will take three years to move through Capricorn. This year is the first round — a big one.
The Greek teacher/healer Chiron reminds us that our reality is being reorganized. But by whom? Are you willing to take responsibility for your life? Government authority is taking charge like a runaway train. Pretend you are a potter (or a magical Harry Potter) at the wheel shaping the clay. This is a creative process. What new forms are needed in a time when we have outgrown the structures of the past? What is working in your life and what is not? This is the time to start moving forward again, into a future that we take moment by moment. The planets are lining up in increasingly potent combinations are we move on into the spring, remembering to enjoy.

Editor's note: St. John Star Lady Kelley Hunter is an internationally-known astrologer who tells stories in the stars under the tropical night sky. She is studying for a Ph.D. in world cosmologies. Contact her at 340-693-5839 or kellhunter@earthlink.net, for an astrology consultation, star-gazing schedule or to join her free email list. Check out her new website at www.heliastar.com.
M. Kelley Hunter, Astro-consultant and mythologist
PO Box 37, St. John, USVI 00831
1-888-7ALTAIR
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.

EASTER FULL MOON
March 28, 2002 – Easter, one of the most sacred Christian holidays, is a spring celebration of the rebirth of Christ and of the spirit. At such an important time of year, this holiday had a long tradition that preceded Christianity, as a festival day for the Saxon goddess Eostre.
Easter changes annually, scheduled according to the Moon. Easter is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after spring equinox. The need to determine this date in advance led to serious astronomical observations and calendrics that were built into cathedrals. The meridiana was a marker line designed in the floors of many cathedrals to time the return of the sun to the equinox. A meridian line was laid out from north to south and a hhole in the roof was carefully positioned to catch sunlight in a way that would direct it to the meridiana at the proper time of year. Some were designed as more elaborate calendars.
THE EASTER BUNNY and EASTER EGG
Down here close to the equator, we are tilted toward the sky in such a way that we can easily see the Moon Rabbit. When I first saw this image, it was during the Easter Full Moon. I realized I was seeing the Easter bunny in the Easter egg! Indeed, the Moon-Hare was sacred to Eostre. Take a look for yourself. You'll see the rabbit in profile looking to the left, with its ears pointing to the upper right of the Moon's disk. If you are up north, tip your head and see if you can see it, too, resting inside the Easter egg of the Moon. There was a German saying that the Hare would lay eggs for good children on Easter Eve. So that's where those jelly beans and chocolate eggs come from!
Many peoples throughout the world have seen the Moon Rabbit, including the Mayans, Indians, Chinese and Japanese and Native Americans. The Hare has a rich tradition in mythic symbology. It represents the intuitive capacity to see into the spiritual essence of things, as the Moon lights the dark of the night with a luminous, subliminal awareness. Hare is sometimes associated with willing sacrifice, appropriate for the religious significance of Easter. The instinct of Hare is toward the spiritual, represented by the fire, into which he will jump.
Remember the White Rabbit that Alice followed down the hole into an altered time and space experience that changed her life. Often Rabbit or Hare has a trickster aspect, like Brer Rabbit or Bugs Bunny. The Anglo-Saxon word for hare is hara, which is also a Hindu term referring to the power center in the lower body.
FULLER FULL MOON
If it looks to you like the Moon is especially large, you are right. The Moon is at perigee, its closest approach to Earth, thus it does appear bigger than usual. This month, the Full Moon combines Sun sign Aries and Moon sign Libra.
Aries the Ram is the spring sign of new life, a fresh start. Sabian symbols give an image for each degree of the zodiac, like energy pictures. The Sabian symbol, suggesting an image for the Sun energy, emphasizes this sense of newness: A woman's hat, with streamers blown by the East Wind. Sounds like an Easter bonnet. East is the direction of new beginnings in Native American and other traditions.
Libra is the sign of the Scales, seeking balance, harmony and relationship.
The symbol for this Full Moon energy is: A fireplace blazes mysteriously in a deserted farmhouse. This suggests unexpected blessings and meetings choreographed by universal synchronicity, spiritual forces at work behind the scenes. What kind of story can you make up with those two images? Sometimes these Sabian symbols play out in life in literal ways. Wherever the Full Moon and Sun are aligned in your chart are where these mysterious forces are at work, where new developments are coming into your life.
A GRAND CROSS is made by the Sun and Moon crossing Jupiter and Chiron, an appropriate formation for this holiday. A cross is one of the most ancient symbols. It represents the grounding of spirit into matter, bringing Heaven to Earth.
JUPITER IN CANCER this year is reflecting the sensitivity, the generosity and kindness that has resulted from our national tragedy and our increased need for connecting with each other. Cancer seeks security, especially in home and family matters. Nurturing and growth-promoting, Jupiter in Cancer responds to the larger social need in a personal, caring way. It is as if we are pregnant with a growing need — for what? What are you feeling? You name it. Birth is imminent.
CHIRON IN CAPRICORN, on the opposite side of the sky, suggests that circumstances have changed and we cannot take things for granted. There is no going back to where we were before, which is what Cancer tends to try first. Chiron is a kind of minor planetoid that indicates thresholds and major passages. It brings up issues that need to be resolved or healed. Chiron takes 50 years to circle the Sun in its irregular orbit. It will take three years to move through Capricorn. This year is the first round — a big one.
The Greek teacher/healer Chiron reminds us that our reality is being reorganized. But by whom? Are you willing to take responsibility for your life? Government authority is taking charge like a runaway train. Pretend you are a potter (or a magical Harry Potter) at the wheel shaping the clay. This is a creative process. What new forms are needed in a time when we have outgrown the structures of the past? What is working in your life and what is not? This is the time to start moving forward again, into a future that we take moment by moment. The planets are lining up in increasingly potent combinations are we move on into the spring, remembering to enjoy.

Editor's note: St. John Star Lady Kelley Hunter is an internationally-known astrologer who tells stories in the stars under the tropical night sky. She is studying for a Ph.D. in world cosmologies. Contact her at 340-693-5839 or kellhunter@earthlink.net, for an astrology consultation, star-gazing schedule or to join her free email list. Check out her new website at www.heliastar.com.
M. Kelley Hunter, Astro-consultant and mythologist
PO Box 37, St. John, USVI 00831
1-888-7ALTAIR
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.

Dear Source,
It is my opinion that the $10 fee charged for a handicapped parking permit is unconscionable.
Parking restrictions are seldom enforced and spaces are often occupied by non-permit holders. Perhaps if the restrictions were enforced, enough revenue ($1,000.00 fine) would be generated to underwrite the cost of the permits and their issuance.
Please keep in mind that a majority of permit holders are elderly and/or retired, low-income individuals.
Sincerely,
George Anderson
St. Croix

Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net
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 – The Christian observance of Good Friday is not a federal holiday, but it continues to hold its traditional importance in the Virgin Islands, as does the five-day holiday weekend from Maundy Thursday through Easter Monday.
Although many businesses do not observe the three days of the local government and school holiday, most banks and some other private-sector establishments will be closed on Friday.
Here are some specifics:
Post offices: Although Good Friday is not on the list of U.S. Postal Service holidays, post offices in the territory will be closed, Postmaster Louis A. Jackson said. Express Mail will be delivered, but there will be no lobby service. The Good Friday closing, according to a release from Jackson, "is one of the Virgin Islands' budgeted holidays."
No information could be found on the USPS web site regarding budgeted or locally observed holidays, and Good Friday is not on the USPS list of holidays.
Schools: All public schools are closed Thursday, Friday and Monday. Private schools are keeping various holidays, from Friday only to a combination with spring break resulting in more than a week off.
V.I. government offices: As is traditional, government offices are closed, and all but essential employees are off for Thursday, Friday and Monday.
Federal government offices: U.S. District Court on St. Thomas and St. Croix will be closed Friday, but both federal buildings where they are housed will be open; federal agency offices may be open or closed, and anyone having business with such an office is advised to telephone ahead to confirm hours of business. The offices of Delegate Donna Christian Christensen will be closed Thursday, Friday and Monday.
V.I. National Park: The park and its Visitor Center on St. John will be open straight through the weekend as usual. (The National Park Service guided Reef Bay trail hike on Good Friday still had openings for participants as of Thursday. To sign up, call the park office at 776-6201.)
Banks: Banco Popular, Bank of Nova Scotia and Chase Bank all will close for Good Friday. The branches of those banks that are customarily keep Saturday hours will do so as usual this weekend. Attempts to contact other banks for information couldn't reach live people.
Major retail establishments: Pueblo supermarkets on both St. Thomas and St. Croix will be closed on Good Friday but open on Easter Sunday. K-mart and Plaza Extra on both islands will keep regular hours throughout the weekend. Starfish Market on St. John will be open as usual.
Bars: There traditionally has been a ban on serving distilled liquor in public establishments for certain hours on Good Friday. Also traditionally, there has been controversy about the definition of "distilled liquor." The decision may be made for you by the establishment you frequent.
A release from Police Commissioner Franz Christian cites the V.I. Code as saying that "Distilled liquor and drinks prepared shall not be served in public places of refreshments between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m." on Good Friday. According to the release, persons violating the restrictions "shall be fined a maximum of $200 and imprisoned not more than one year, or both." This year, authorities provided no explanation as to exactly what the law means.
Houses of worship: Many churches traditionally hold Good Friday services, in the afternoon or after sunset. No announcements were received by the Source of ecumenical or "union" services.

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 – The Christian observance of Good Friday is not a federal holiday, but it continues to hold its traditional importance in the Virgin Islands, as does the five-day holiday from Maundy Thursday through Easter Monday.
Although many businesses do not observe the three days of the local government and school holiday, most banks and some other private-sector establishments will be closed on Friday.
Here are some specifics:
Post offices: Although Good Friday is not on the list of U.S. Postal Service holidays, post offices in the territory will be closed, Postmaster Louis A. Jackson said. Express Mail will be delivered, but there will be no lobby service. The Good Friday closing, according to a release from Jackson, "is one of the Virgin Islands' budgeted holidays."
No information could be found on the USPS web site regarding budgeted or locally observed holidays, and Good Friday is not on the USPS list of holidays.
Schools: All public schools are closed Thursday, Friday and Monday. Private schools are keeping various holidays, from Friday only to a combination with spring break resulting in more than a week off.
V.I. government offices: As is traditional, government offices are closed, and all but essential employees are off for Thursday, Friday and Monday.
Federal government offices: U.S. District Court on St. Thomas and St. Croix will be closed Friday, but both federal buildings where they are housed will be open; federal agency offices may be open or closed, and anyone having business with such an office is advised to telephone ahead to confirm hours of business. The offices of Delegate Donna Christian Christensen will be closed Thursday, Friday and Monday.
V.I. National Park: The park and its Visitor Center on St. John will be open straight through the weekend as usual. (The National Park Service guided Reef Bay trail hike on Good Friday still had openings for participants as of Thursday. To sign up, call the park office at 776-6201.)
Banks: Banco Popular, Bank of Nova Scotia and Chase Bank all will close for Good Friday. The branches of those banks that are customarily keep Saturday hours will do so as usual this weekend. Attempts to contact other banks for information couldn't reach live people.
Major retail establishments: Pueblo supermarkets on both St. Thomas and St. Croix will be closed on Good Friday but open on Easter Sunday. K-mart and Plaza Extra on both islands will keep regular hours throughout the weekend. Starfish Market on St. John will be open as usual.
Bars: There traditionally has been a ban on serving distilled liquor in public establishments for certain hours on Good Friday. Also traditionally, there has been controversy about the definition of "distilled liquor." The decision may be made for you by the establishment you frequent.
A release from Police Commissioner Franz Christian cites the V.I. Code as saying that "Distilled liquor and drinks prepared shall not be served in public places of refreshments between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m." on Good Friday. According to the release, persons violating the restrictions "shall be fined a maximum of $200 and imprisoned not more than one year, or both." This year, authorities provided no explanation as to exactly what the law means.
Houses of worship: Many churches traditionally hold Good Friday services, in the afternoon or after sunset. No announcements were received by the Source of ecumenical or "union" services.

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.