Jan. 6, 2001 – While commercial traffic at Cyril E. King Airport is down from a year ago, those sleek little and not-so-little private jets flying in daily are bringing a boost to the local economy.
As many as 27 private aircraft may be on the ground at any given time, according to Dan Tomlinson, manager of V.I. Ground Handlers and Alliance Aviation. "They come from all over the world, but mostly from the U.S.," he said. And they keep everyone from ground handlers to villa managers profitably occupied.
Tomlinson said November traffic was down about 20 flights a day compared to a year earlier — a drop he attributed to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But "right now, we have a slight increase over last year," he said. Again, he attributed this, in part, to terrorism concerns: More people, mostly corporate executives, are choosing the private jets not only for privacy but for safety, he said.
St. Thomas does get its share of celebrities — some say more than ever this year — and they, of course, do guard their privacy. "Some of our passengers are famous," Tomlinson said. "Most are not. They enjoy their freedom of movement around St. Thomas and the V.I."
From the moment they hit the ground, the private planes plump up the economy, starting with fueling, landing fees and parking, then on to chartered or private yachts, villas and upscale hotels, to say nothing of wining, dining and shopping.
And when they leave, their planes take on not only fuel but food and drink. Just ask Becky or Ted Luscz, owners of Hook, Line and Sinker restaurant in Frenchtown, who are going into their second season catering the jets. "Our business has gone up at least 100 percent over last season," Ted Luscz said, "probably more if I had time to calculate it."
It's not an easy business. People who can afford to fly around in private jets can be very particular, and some seem unaware that St. Thomas doesn't have elegant gourmet shops like Balducci's or a Dean and DeLuca right around the corner. But the Lusczes are resourceful.
"We've done six dinners with Beluga caviar and lobster tails on not much more than a moment's notice," Becky Luscz said. They also prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – white bread, no crusts, cut in half — with a Rice Krispies side dish at the drop of a hat.
Roy Romney, St. Thomas manager of Bohlke Aviation, said his business, too, is "a lot more this year — maybe a 10 to 15 percent increase over last year." Between them, Bohlke and Ground Handlers handle all of the private aviation operations at CEK airport.
And there's more than the small Lear jets. "We have Boeing 727's and 737's coming in, too," Romney said. "We do anything we can for them, any service they need."
Not all of the private arrivals have the territory as their final destination. "I'd say about 50 percent go to the British Virgin Islands," Romney said. "Time-share villas get a lot of business, but most of the people go sailing."
Romney's philosophy of all-out service is shared by Tomlinson. "We try to see how and where we can help them," he said.
Tomlinson was enthusiastic in his praise of the Port Authority's CEK Airport manager, Barbara Ricketts, and its operations supervisor, Jose Nazario. "They have done a great job in helping us accommodate all the aircraft," he said. "They played an important role in temporarily closing off a taxiway for added parking space for us. They are working hard to plan safe, well-organized parking." CEK even accommodates overflow aircraft from St. Martin, he said.
Expanding the general aviation parking ramp was part of the master plan when they built the airport, Tomlinson said, and "it feels like they are starting to move in that direction."
He also is enthusiastic about allowing mega-yachts to tie up at the Charlotte Amalie waterfront. "That's a great idea by the Port Authority," he said. "There's a correlation between the yachts and the jets. About 30 percent of the [air] passengers go on the boats, and the rest to top-end resorts like the Ritz-Carlton and Caneel Bay — or to private islands like little St. James here or Necker Island in the B.V.I."
Tomlinson was reluctant to put a dollar amount, or even a ballpark figure, on just what the private jets mean to the local economy.
Ben Grimes, Federal Aviation Administration operations supervisor at the St. Thomas airport control tower, said overall air traffic to the island this season is down about 18 percent from last year. But cutbacks in flights by commercial carriers since Sept. 11 haven't adversely affected those who are insulated from the economic and psychological realities of private flying and can at will declare, "I'm leaving on a jet plane" — to the Virgin Islands.

Jan. 5, 2002 – Two St. Croix residents were charged with drug, firearms and explosives violations Thursday after federal agents raided their home in Christiansted.
Wayne Studdard, 37, and Lia Studdard, 48, were charged with unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful possession of an explosive device, unlawful storage of explosive material and conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.
They appeared before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Resnick late Thursday and are being held pending a detention hearing Monday. Both face a maximum of 36 years in prison on the various charges, according to an announcement of the arrest from U.S. Attorney David Atkinson.
According to the criminal complaint, agents with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team, which includes federal narcotics agents and local police, seized 10 firearms, ammunition, various components of military explosive devices, chemicals that could be used to make gunpowder, marijuana seeds and an inactive hydroponic laboratory that could be used to grow marijuana.

Jan. 5, 2002 — Six Christiansted galleries will keep their doors open after hours Thursday, inviting the public to stroll the historic downtown district streets and stop in to see their offerings during the second monthly "Art Thursday."
Taking part in this month's art walk are Campen Gallery and Frame, Christiansted Gallery, Danica Art Gallery, Gallery Gia, Maria Henle Studio and Mark Austin's Fine Art Gallery. All will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday. Taller Larjas, which was involved in December's inaugural event, isn't this time but will be back for the February offering.
In addition to the fine-art galleries, art jewelry stores (Crucian Gold, I.B. Designs, Iona Skye, Jewelweed) and craft venues (Folk Art Traders, Memories of St. Croix) will be participating, as will several in-town restaurants that will offer specials to Art Thursday participants.
"Come stroll through Christiansted, enjoy the variety of art offered by the different galleries and dinner afterwards," publicity states, "and support Christiansted's Art Renaissance."
For the first walk, in December, "Turnout was good, despite a rainy evening, and very enthusiastic," Maria Henle, one of the organizers, said. While there was more shopping than buying, she added, "I have a feeling the economy, plus the lack of winter residents — they come in January — had a lot to do with it."
All of the gallery owners feel that the first walk "was really successful, as it brought out a lot of people — some of whom I have never seen at an opening of mine!" Henle said. "We were, overall, very pleased with the participation and the feedback from the public."
Given that this was the first after-hours walk, she suggests that a wait-and-see attitude is in order for business owners who may feel skeptical about the whole idea. "You never know what residual effect staying open might have — not to mention, it's good for the whole community," she said.
The accompanying map — available at all of the participating venues — indicates where the galleries are located. (Designed for the December walk, it includes Taller Larjas). Strollers can start and stop at any point throughout the evening, and spend as much time as they like wherever they like.
"The walking isn't all that much," Henle said. "It's more that people can get waylaid at a given venue, and thus not make it to all of them in an evening!"
The galleries are all in the downtown area except for Campen's, which is in Gallows Bay. "Most people drive there either first or last stop of the evening," Henle said.
The participating galleries will have light refreshments, and Henle, at least, is considering offering live music — at future walks, if not this one.
"We will continue doing this all season, as we know it takes time to establish an event like this," she said.

Jan. 4, 2002 – The West Indian Co. has three construction projects on its drawing board, one of them an in-house undertaking and the other two developments planned for land the company owns.
In the first instance, WICO hopes to begin construction on a new administration building adjacent to its existing accounting and operations center in Havensight shortly, according to company spokesman Calvin Wheatley.
The Coastal Zone Management permit needed for the work "has been approved, and construction will get under way during the first quarter of this year," Wheatley said in the latest issue of the WICO newsletter, distributed Wednesday. The current main office building has become "inadequate for the needs of the company," he said.
The other two projects are the long-planned Carifest theme park to be developed on land owned by the company and a commercial development planned by the new owners of the Yacht Haven Hotel and Marina complex for WICO-owned landfill adjacent to the hotel property.
"It is hoped that the long-awaited construction of the Carifest cultural theme park will get under way during this year," the newsletter stated.
Because of changes in the ownership/management structure of the theme park as a result of legislation enacted last fall, Wheatley said, "it is expected that there will be renegotiation of certain terms and conditions of the lease." He expressed hope that financing arrangements can be wrapped up by early this year, with construction to commence shortly thereafter.
According to the newsletter, WICO officials are still in discussion with officials of PRM Long Bay, which owns the hurricane-battered Yacht Haven Hotel, about leasing the adjacent landfill acreage. PRM is seeking a long-term lease in order to develop the property.
Wheatley said such a lease would facilitate construction of a portion of a commercial complex planned by PRM that has the potential for "strong economic impact" locally. He noted that WICO "has pledged cooperation with the owners to facilitate the CZM approval process."
The newsletter also reported that:
– For 2001, cruise ships brought a total of 1,790,452 passengers to St. Thomas, compared to 1,719,837 in 2000, "a modest increase of 4 percent." (For the first seven months of 2001, arrivals had been up 14 percent over 2000, and WICO was projecting that the total 2001 figure would top 1.9 million.)
Since the immediate drop in cruise business following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "there has been a steady improvement in the number of cruise passenger arrivals at St. Thomas, particularly those who have to fly to ports of embarkation," the newsletter said.
– WICO will no longer issue long-range schedules for ship arrivals in the territory but will instead provide month-by-month information. This is because of the rapidity with which changes are occurring these days within cruise line operations, it noted.
– Four new ships have called at St. Thomas this season — Celebrity Cruises' Infinity and Summit and Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas — and another, Carnival's Pride, will begin visiting the territory in mid-January. Meantime, the Norway resumed weekly calls on Dec. 20 after an absence of some four months.
– Gov. Charles W. Turnbull had asked WICO and other entities to submit position papers on the proposed development of cruise port facilities at Crown Bay. The letter noted that WICO, Main Street merchants and some legislators have expressed opposition to the proposal advanced by the Port Authority and two cruise lines. "At the time of writing, no announcement of the governor's position had been made," the newsletter stated.

Jan. 4, 2002 – A community workshop is planned for Jan. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Marketplace, third floor, to obtain input on the master plan being developed for the Cruz Bay area.
Input is sought on (1) a draft signage plan for design and location, (2) improved pedestrian system, and (3) a vision for a community master plan.
Information will be provided on current community projects, including Cruz Bay Park improvements, Enighed Pond and vendors plaza / parking garage near the car ferry dock.
The workshop is sponsored by the Cruz Bay Gateway Planning Council, a group created by the St. John administrator to advise and assist the Territory and the V.I. National Park in planning downtown Cruz Bay.
It will be hosted by U.S. National Park Service staff from the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. Cruz Bay is one of nine communities and organizations in the Southeast selected to receive planning and technican assistance through that program in 2002.
Call Jim Owens at 776-6201 x247 for further information.

Jan. 4, 2002 – A community workshop is planned for Jan. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Marketplace, third floor, to obtain input on the master plan being developed for the Cruz Bay area.
Input is sought on (1) a draft signage plan for design and location, (2) improved pedestrian system, and (3) a vision for a community master plan.
Information will be provided on current community projects, including Cruz Bay Park improvements, Enighed Pond and vendors plaza / parking garage near the car ferry dock.
The workshop is sponsored by the Cruz Bay Gateway Planning Council, a group created by the St. John administrator to advise and assist the Territory and the national park in planning downtown Cruz Bay.
The event is hosted by U. S. National Park Service staff from the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. Cruz Bay is one of nine communities and organizations in the Southeast selected to receive planning and technican assistance through that program in 2002.
Call Jim Owens at 776-6201 x247 for further information.

A community workshop is planned for Jan. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Marketplace, third floor, to obtain input on the master plan being developed for the Cruz Bay area.
Input is sought on (1) a draft signage plan for design and location, (2) improved pedestrian system, and (3) a vision for a community master plan.
Information will be provided on current community projects, including Cruz Bay Park improvements, Enighed Pond and vendors plaza/parking garage near the car ferry dock.
The workshop is sponsored by the Cruz Bay Gateway Planning Council and will be hosted by National Park Service staff through a technical assistance program.
Call Jim Owens at 776-6201 x247 for further information.

Jan. 4, 2002 – The 2001 Veuve Clicquot Women's Laser Regatta is under way. Yes, it's now 2002, but the event, originally scheduled for last Nov. 16-18, was pushed up to this weekend because of a need for restructuring.
A total of 26 competitors are taking part in the regatta, sailing in four classes, director Verian Aguilar said Friday afternoon as the sailors in the singles radial rig class were returning from their first three races, the only competition of the day. Three classes had been scheduled to race, but due to light air, the other two never made it out.
Ten women competed in the singles radial class, and about the same number are registered for the other classes, Aguilar said. "Some people are racing in as many as three classes," she added.
The radial rig is "a little smaller" than the standard rig, she explained. The other classes are singles standard rig, doubles with helmsperson age 16 or younger, and doubles with helmsperson older than 16 (for doubles, the crew can be of any age).
Because of Friday's light winds, "We'll be out all day on the water tomorrow [Saturday] from 9 a.m. to about 5 p.m.," Aguilar said. "We want to try to get in as many races as possible. We've got to have six races to make a regatta for each class, and we're hoping to get them nine, so they get one throw-out."
The regatta that had been planned for November was called off the weekend before the event because only four entries had been received, although previous regattas had typically attracted some 60 sailors from throughout the Caribbean, the U.S. mainland and beyond.
The lack of registrants was attributed to several areas of concern — a restriction that competitors had to be at least 18 years of age, whereas the event had always previously been open to younger girls; skill-level gold, silver and bronze racing classes; and a registration fee considered too high. There also had been plans to bring in a stateside band to entertain and to make the regatta a fundraiser for a women's support group.
With Aguilar newly installed as regatta director, the rules and regulations were revised in favor of simplifying and encouraging participation, especially of young people. The regatta ended up drawing a relatively small field, all from St. Thomas and St. John — counting college students home on holiday break. But the level of enthusiasm is high, Aguilar said, "especially the juniors. It's great to see them out there." She noted that some women who wanted to take part had a conflict because of a golf tournament this weekend.
One thing that remained unchanged from the earlier plans was the participation of Betsy Allison, five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, former Women's Laser World champion, top-ranked match racer, sailing instructor and consultant with the National Women's Sailing Association. Allison "has been here the last few years," Aguilar said, providing coaching and critiquing as a part of the regatta program.
Allison conducted a sailing clinic on the water Friday morning and gave a talk on rules and regs just before the skippers' meeting in the afternoon, Aguilar said. While racing is under way, she observes from the changeover boat, the Spirit of St. Christopher catamaran.
The "changeover boat" is a vessel that allows crew to get off and on the racing boats without having to return to shore. With the same Lasers used for all classes, those who have finished a race come aboard the changeover boat, while other crew who have been on the larger boat replace them in the small craft for the next class of racing. "Betsy is in the perfect position to offer critiques to those who've just come back from racing," Aguilar said.
The Women's Laser Regatta was begun in 1986 as a one-day Mother's Day competition to promote women's sailing in the Caribbean. It's been held every year since except for 1995, in the aftermath of Hurricane Marilyn, and, now, technically speaking, for 2001. Because the spring date was uncomfortably close to the traditional Easter weekend Rolex Regatta, the event was moved to September. Winds of September, however, have been known to be outrageous, so November was tried.
Again, though, Aguilar said, "winds in November are not predictable, and it's too close to Thanksgiving." She thinks it's more than possible that the event will become a January fixture. "A lot of people are still on vacation, and a lot of college kids are home," she said. "We're really catering to that."
From its inception, the regatta has emphasized learning as well as competing. Organizers Nance Frank and Dee Spear early on enlisted Susan Warren-Ervin of Bellows International and other sailing-minded women to race and teach youngsters the joys of skimming across the water.
Nowadays, St. Thomas's Paul Stoeken, who competed in boardsailing at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, and other expert sailors give lessons to the girls, many of whom come from St. John's Kids And The Sea program. According to Evelyn Nye, a former regatta director and longtime supporter, the women's event is "a very popular regatta among families because there's an unparalleled camaraderie. After all, you're cheering on younger people, and people like to do that. The women support each other and cheer each other on, and it brings women into sailing. And men really get behind it."
When Veuve Clicquot champagne, distributed locally by Bellows International, came onboard as the regatta sponsor a decade ago, there was a further identification with women's solidarity. Nicole Ponsardin, born in France in 1777, married Francois Clicquot. Upon her husband's death, the 27-year-old Veuve (French for "widow") Clicquot took over his wine business and ran it with great success. Because of that, Nye said, "We sort of feel a connection — women and achievement."
Over the years, the regatta not only attracted participants from Antigua, Sint Maarten, Puerto Rico, North and South America and Europe; it inspired the establishment of women's Laser competitions in Antigua and Sint Maarten, leading to the creation of a Caribbean Women's Laser Circuit.
While this year's St. Thomas event is scaled down from previous years, it's staying true to the objectives of the founders: motivating youngsters to develop competitive sailing skills and encouraging experienced sailors to serve as their mentors as well as their role models.
The social aspects of the regatta include a dinner Friday night at the St. Thomas Yacht Club, a beach barbecue Saturday night with music by Lightnin' Phil and the Low-Pressure System, and an awards brunch on Sunday at the yacht club.
The regatta will end by noon Sunday, Aguilar said, with the brunch to follow. To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the regatta, "we'll be honoring some of our founders — Dee Spear, especially," she said.
For more information, visit the Women's Laser Regatta page on the St. Thomas Yacht Club web site.

John Perkins, noted author and researcher, will discuss Shamanism at the Omega seminar at the Marketplace community meeting area on the third floor. The free seminar is for residents and visitors.
A shuttle will meet the 7 p.m. ferry from Red Hook, which arrives around 7:20 p.m. The shuttle will return to the ferry dock in time to make the 9 p.m. ferry to Red Hook. Shuttles run $2 per person.

The Omega Institute in conjunction with the St. John-based People Moving Forward Foundation will feature Krishna Das with his talk on "Devotional Chanting,' at Marketplace community meeting area on the third floor.
The free seminar is for residents and visitors. A shuttle will meet the 7 p.m. ferry from Red Hook, which arrives around 7:20 p.m. The shuttle will return to the ferry dock in time to make the 9 p.m. ferry back to Red Hook. Shuttles run $2 per person.