Feb. 22, 2002 – Winning the St. Thomas-St. John district 2002 Intermediate Spelling Bee on Friday was a proud accomplishment for All Saints Cathedral School student Elise Mike, even though she had to go through "mortification" to pull it off.
It took 17 rounds on the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School stage to separate Elise from second-place finisher Kristal Brin of the Moravian School. Kristal stunned onlookers with the correct spelling of "perpendicularly," then bowed out moments later over "chivalry."
Then it was Elise's turn. She won the round with a correct spelling of "debris," then nailed first place with "mortification," which means humiliation or embarrassment. The audience began applauding as the letters tumbled out.
It was a winning week for Elise. On Thursday she took fourth place in the annual MathCounts district competition.
Spelling Bee second runner-up Lideon Davis from Lockhart Elementary School narrowly dodged the bullet in the 10th round, when all three of the remaining contestants misspelled their words, but he stumbled a few minutes later over the "Thomism," which refers to beliefs based on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Elise, Kristal and Lideon will lead the intermediate district team into the territorial competition against St. Croix's top spellers on March 20. Also representing St. Thomas-St. John will be Magen McGrath of Antilles School, Analise Setorie of Calvary Christian Academy and Ashton Phillip of Sts. Peter and Paul, who finished, respectively, in fourth, fifth and sixth place Friday.
The winners of the territorial contest will represent the Virgin Islands at the National Spelling Bee in Chicago.

Feb. 23, 2002 – With a bill to grant the Board of Education control over public education in the territory wending its way through the Legislature, Sen. Adelbert Bryan wants an audit of the board's operations over the last four years.
On Thursday, Bryan asked the V.I. Inspector General, Steven Van Beverhoudt, to conduct an in-depth audit of the administration and operation of the board since 1998. Bryan also sent letters to the board chair, Jorge Galiber, and the Senate post auditor, Maureen Cullar, asking them to provide him information regarding the board's:
– Scholarship funding received, approved and granted.
– Contractual arrangements, including the hiring of consultants.
– Loans granted to individuals.
– Other expenditures, including for staffing and for other operating expenses.
"This information is needed in order for the committee which has oversight to determine exactly what are the issues" which need "to be addressed by the committee of jurisdiction in the Legislature," Bryan, a member of the Education Committee, wrote to all three officials.
By Saturday it was unclear whether Van Beverhoudt would grant Bryan’s request.
The Public Education Reform Act of 2001 now before the 24th Legislature would revamp the school system by giving an elected board, instead of the Education Department administration, governance for public education, with its policies to be implemented by an Office of Public Education that would replace the department.
The board — comprising four members each from St. Thomas and St. Croix and one from St. John — would have a status similar to that of the Port Authority and the Water and Power Authority, according to its backers. Its makeup would include individuals familiar with the vocational education needs of labor and of management in the territory, and someone representing the University of the Virgin Islands.
Board members would be publicly elected to four-year terms, as is the case with
members of the current Board of Education. The school system would be headed by a superintendent hired by the board.
The Education Department has long been criticized in the Legislature and elsewhere for being top-heavy at the management level. In recent Senate hearings on the bill, Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds said the department hasn’t taken a position on the proposal.

The American Cancer Society, St. Croix Unit, needs office volunteers, hours 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
Contact the office at 778-2882.

The American Cancer Society, St. Croix Unit, invites the general public to a "Relay for Life" meeting to be held at the Penthouse Rooftop Restaurant, Castle Coakley.
For more information contact Mrs. Lewis at 692-5862 or Mrs. Furet at 778-6311 ext 2768/2346.

Feb. 23, 2002 – With a bill to grant the Board of Education control over public education in the territory wending its way through the Legislature, Sen. Adelbert Bryan wants an audit of the board's operations over the last four years.
On Thursday, Bryan asked the V.I. Inspector General, Steven Van Beverhoudt, to conduct an in-depth audit of the administration and operation of the board since 1998. Bryan also sent letters to the board chair, Jorge Galiber, and the Senate post auditor, Maureen Cullar, asking them to provide him information regarding the board's:
– Scholarship funding received, approved and granted.
– Contractual arrangements, including the hiring of consultants.
– Loans granted to individuals.
– Other expenditures, including for staffing and for other operating expenses.
"This information is needed in order for the committee which has oversight to determine exactly what are the issues" which need "to be addressed by the committee of jurisdiction in the Legislature," Bryan, a member of the Education Committee, wrote to all three officials.
By Saturday it was unclear whether Van Beverhoudt would grant Bryan’s request.
The Public Education Reform Act of 2001 now before the 24th Legislature would revamp the school system by giving an elected board, instead of the Education Department administration, governance for public education, with its policies to be implemented by an Office of Public Education that would replace the department.
The board — comprising four members each from St. Thomas and St. Croix and one from St. John — would have a status similar to that of the Port Authority and the Water and Power Authority, according to its backers. Its makeup would include individuals familiar with the vocational education needs of labor and of management in the territory, and someone representing the University of the Virgin Islands.
Board members would be publicly elected to four-year terms, as is the case with
members of the current Board of Education. The school system would be headed by a superintendent hired by the board.
The Education Department has long been criticized in the Legislature and elsewhere for being top-heavy at the management level. In recent Senate hearings on the bill, Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds said the department hasn’t taken a position on the proposal.

The American Cancer Society, St. Croix Unit, invites the general public to a "Relay for Life" meeting to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, at the Penthouse Rooftop Restaurant, Castle Coakley.
For more information call Mrs. Lewis at 692-5862 or Mrs. Furet at 778-6311 ext. 2768/2346.

Feb. 23, 2002 – With a bill to grant the Board of Education control over public education in the territory wending its way through the Legislature, Sen. Adelbert Bryan wants an audit of the board's operations over the last four years.
On Thursday, Bryan asked the V.I. Inspector General, Steven Van Beverhoudt, to conduct an in-depth audit of the administration and operation of the board since 1998. Bryan also sent letters to the board chair, Jorge Galiber, and the Senate post auditor, Maureen Cullar, asking them to provide him information regarding the board's:
– Scholarship funding received, approved and granted.
– Contractual arrangements, including the hiring of consultants.
– Loans granted to individuals.
– Other expenditures, including for staffing and for other operating expenses.
"This information is needed in order for the committee which has oversight to determine exactly what are the issues" which need "to be addressed by the committee of jurisdiction in the Legislature," Bryan, a member of the Education Committee, wrote to all three officials.
By Saturday it was unclear whether Van Beverhoudt would grant Bryan’s request.
The Public Education Reform Act of 2001 now before the 24th Legislature would revamp the school system by giving an elected board, instead of the Education Department administration, governance for public education, with its policies to be implemented by an Office of Public Education that would replace the department.
The board — comprising four members each from St. Thomas and St. Croix and one from St. John — would have a status similar to that of the Port Authority and the Water and Power Authority, according to its backers. Its makeup would include individuals familiar with the vocational education needs of labor and of management in the territory, and someone representing the University of the Virgin Islands.
Board members would be publicly elected to four-year terms, as is the case with
members of the current Board of Education. The school system would be headed by a superintendent hired by the board.
The Education Department has long been criticized in the Legislature and elsewhere for being top-heavy at the management level. In recent Senate hearings on the bill, Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds said the department hasn’t taken a position on the proposal.

The Office of Veterans Affairs informs veterans that counseling sessions have been scheduled to be held at the Veterans Affairs Office in Estate Richmond, Christiansted.
Counselor Teresa Barajas of the Regional Office in Puerto Rico will answer questions on benefits, claims, pensions and compensation.
For more information call 773-6663.

Feb. 22, 2002 – The Office of Veterans Affairs informs veterans that counseling sessions have been scheduled between 2 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Veterans Affairs Office in Estate Richmond, Christiansted.
Counselor Teresa Barajas of the Regional Office in Puerto Rico will answer questions on benefits, claims, pensions and compensation.
For more information call 773-6663.
,ER.

The Office of Veterans Affairs informs veterans that counseling sessions have been scheduled. They will be held at the Veterans Affairs Office located at #2C Estate Contant. Counselor Teresa Barajas of the Regional Office in Puerto Rico will answer questions on benefits, claims, pensions and compensation.
For more information call 774-6100.