Jan 3, 2002 – The original Rat Pack is gone, but the thrill is still there, and director Steven Soderbergh has a wonderful time exploiting it in his 2001 remake of "Ocean's Eleven."
This version of the 1960 hipster clique classic holds up on a fine story, crisp dialog and what one critic has called an "expertly made piece of pure, unpretentious popcorn."
The first film — starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, backed up by his buddies Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford — is remembered less for the quality of the film than as a star-studded vehicle for the peerless hipsters.
The majority of online critics, who rarely agree on anything praiseworthy, embrace the 2001 film as a finely crafted yarn. Even Rotten Tomatoes has accumulated 79 fresh, as opposed to 13 rotten, reviews.
Maybe it was time for director Steven Soderbergh, who has assembled a cast with its own charisma, to do something lighter than "Erin Brockovich" or "Traffic." He had said he wanted to make a movie that "has no desire except to give pleasure from beginning to end."
George Clooney is Danny Ocean, a thief who has just gotten out of the slammer and loses no time planning his next heist — one to top all others. Ocean plans to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who just happens to be dating Ocean's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts).
Ocean orchestrates his sophisticated, elaborate heist with the help of 11 hand-picked specialists including an ace card sharp (Brad Pitt), a master pickpocket (Matt Damon) and a demolition genius (Don Cheadle) as the main men. The other seven include Elliott Gould as a flamboyant business rival of Benedict's and Carl Reiner as what one critic calls "an ulcerous retiree brought back into the game."
Ocean has three rules for his eclectic gang: Don't hurt anybody, don't steal from anyone who doesn't deserve it, and play the game like you've got nothing to lose. Words to live by. Want a fourth admonition? Anyone in the market for some unadulterated fun should hurry out to Market Square East where the movie started Thursday.
"Ocean's Eleven" is rated PG for language and sexual content and is two hours long. It opened Thursday at Market Square East on St. Thomas.

Jan 3, 2002 – The original Rat Pack is gone, but the thrill is still there, and director Steven Soderbergh has a wonderful time exploiting it in his 2001 remake of "Ocean's Eleven."
This version of the 1960 hipster clique classic holds up on a fine story, crisp dialog and what one critic has called an "expertly made piece of pure, unpretentious popcorn."
The first film — starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, backed up by his buddies Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford — is remembered less for the quality of the film than as a star-studded vehicle for the peerless hipsters.
The majority of online critics, who rarely agree on anything praiseworthy, embrace the 2001 film as a finely crafted yarn. Even Rotten Tomatoes has accumulated 79 fresh, as opposed to 13 rotten, reviews.
Maybe it was time for director Steven Soderbergh, who has assembled a cast with its own charisma, to do something lighter than "Erin Brockovich" or "Traffic." He had said he wanted to make a movie that "has no desire except to give pleasure from beginning to end."
George Clooney is Danny Ocean, a thief who has just gotten out of the slammer and loses no time planning his next heist — one to top all others. Ocean plans to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who just happens to be dating Ocean's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts).
Ocean orchestrates his sophisticated, elaborate heist with the help of 11 hand-picked specialists including an ace card sharp (Brad Pitt), a master pickpocket (Matt Damon) and a demolition genius (Don Cheadle) as the main men. The other seven include Elliott Gould as a flamboyant business rival of Benedict's and Carl Reiner as what one critic calls "an ulcerous retiree brought back into the game."
Ocean has three rules for his eclectic gang: Don't hurt anybody, don't steal from anyone who doesn't deserve it, and play the game like you've got nothing to lose. Words to live by. Want a fourth admonition? Anyone in the market for some unadulterated fun should hurry out to Market Square East where the movie started Thursday.
"Ocean's Eleven" is rated PG for language and sexual content and is two hours long. It opened Thursday at Sunny Isle Theaters.

Jan 3, 2002 – The original Rat Pack is gone, but the thrill is still there, and director Steven Soderbergh has a wonderful time exploiting it in his 2001 remake of "Ocean's Eleven."
This version of the 1960 hipster clique classic holds up on a fine story, crisp dialog and what one critic has called an "expertly made piece of pure, unpretentious popcorn."
The first film — starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, backed up by his buddies Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford — is remembered less for the quality of the film than as a star-studded vehicle for the peerless hipsters.
The majority of online critics, who rarely agree on anything praiseworthy, embrace the 2001 film as a finely crafted yarn. Even Rotten Tomatoes has accumulated 79 fresh, as opposed to 13 rotten, reviews.
Maybe it was time for director Steven Soderbergh, who has assembled a cast with its own charisma, to do something lighter than "Erin Brockovich" or "Traffic." He had said he wanted to make a movie that "has no desire except to give pleasure from beginning to end."
George Clooney is Danny Ocean, a thief who has just gotten out of the slammer and loses no time planning his next heist — one to top all others. Ocean plans to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who just happens to be dating Ocean's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts).
Ocean orchestrates his sophisticated, elaborate heist with the help of 11 hand-picked specialists including an ace card sharp (Brad Pitt), a master pickpocket (Matt Damon) and a demolition genius (Don Cheadle) as the main men. The other seven include Elliott Gould as a flamboyant business rival of Benedict's and Carl Reiner as what one critic calls "an ulcerous retiree brought back into the game."
Ocean has three rules for his eclectic gang: Don't hurt anybody, don't steal from anyone who doesn't deserve it, and play the game like you've got nothing to lose. Words to live by. Want a fourth admonition? Anyone in the market for some unadulterated fun should hurry out to Market Square East where the movie started Thursday.
"Ocean's Eleven" is rated PG for language and sexual content and is two hours long. It opened Thursday at Market Square East.

Jan. 3, 2002 – Star Consulting Services LLC will host the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10, at 12A Estate Mafolie. Members, guests and potential members are encouraged to attend and learn about the various business services that Star Consulting provides.
Shuttle service will be provided from the Joseph Sibilly School and Sibs Restaurant parking lots.
Complimentary horsd'oevers will be served as well as the famous Chamber $2 bar.

Jan. 3, 2002 – Star Consulting Services LLC will host a St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce "Business After Hours" get-together from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10, at 12A Estate Mafolie. Members, guests and potential members are encouraged to attend and learn about the various business services that Star Consulting provides.
Shuttle service will be provided from the Joseph Sibilly School and Sib's Restaurant Parking lots.
Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served, and the chamber's $2 bar will be open for business.

Star Consulting Services LLC will host the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber Business After Hours at 12A Estate Mafolie.
Shuttle service will be provided from the Joseph Sibilly School and Sibs Restaurant Parking lots.
Members, guests and potential members are encouraged to attend. Come and learn about the various business services that Star Consulting provides. Complimentary horsd'oevers will be served as well as the famous Chamber $2 bar.

Jan. 3, 2002 – The deadline for paying property taxes has been extended a second time, from Dec. 31, 2001, to Jan. 11, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull announced in a press release.
"This means the real property tax bill can be paid without penalty through Jan. 11, 2002," he said.
He said the extension was given because Finance Department offices were closed for the Christmas and New Year's holidays as well as the days when the governor granted employees administrative leave over the holiday season.
Property taxes originally were due Aug. 31, but in November Turnbull extended the deadline to Nov. 30, saying tax bills had been sent out late. They went out July 25, which Turnbull said was not enough time to make payment by Aug. 31.
Taxpayers had a one-month grace period after the Nov. 30 deadline, which brought the actual payment due date without penalty to Dec. 31.
The last day to file a property tax assessment appeal remains Jan. 15.

Jan. 2, 2002 – There has been a flurry of taxi drivers applying for tour operator permits, V.I. National Park Supt. John King said Wednesday. "A number of people came in Dec. 31," he said.
He did not have figures but said every time he stopped by the park's concession office, taxi drivers were there applying for permits.
Jan. 1 was the deadline for all tour companies and independent taxi drivers who take people on tours through the park to secure a permit.
While the island's largest taxi organization, the St. John Taxi Association, has not applied for a permit, King said several members of the group have requested individual permits. The park offered organizations such as the association a blanket permit to cover all its members.
Lorelei Monsanto, who speaks for the St. John Taxi Association, said the organization did not intend to get a permit. "They're public roads and we're not going to pay," she said.
Monsanto said taxi drivers taking people on tours do not use the park's facilities. However, King has many times disputed that allegation, noting that the tours stop at beaches and other park facilities.
The park contends that it owns the roads through the park. King and Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd agreed at an Oct. 25 public meeting that road ownership would be decided in court.
King said that most tour companies, the St. Thomas-based V.I. Taxi Association and smaller associations located at hotels have applied for or have already received their permits.
He said that he told the park's enforcement rangers to "go easy" on drivers on Tuesday, the day the permit requirement took effect, because of the number of last- minute applicants.
On Tuesday, King said, park rangers issued warnings to drivers whose vehicles did not display a permit decal in the window. He said the next time a ranger stops them for the same violation, they will receive a ticket. Three tickets will require an appearance before a U.S. District Court judge.
King has said the rangers will not issue tickets while the taxi drivers have passengers in their vehicles. Instead, the rangers will note the vehicle tag numbers and issue the tickets when the passengers are not in the vehicles or when the drivers return to Cruz Bay.
Other tour operators, such as those who conduct hiking, kayaking and day-sail excursions, have held permits for years. The park's new Commercial Services Plan, mandated by Congress, requires that all tour operators obtain annual permits.
The park initially set the fees at $300 for independent drivers and $750 for associations and companies. After drivers objected, King lowered them to $75 for independent drivers and $250 for associations and companies. No permits are required of taxi drivers who only transport passengers from point A to point B.
Park personnel held many public meetings over the course of a year and a half seeking community input in shaping its new Commercial Services Plan. Several months ago, as the Jan. 1 deadline loomed, many taxi drivers said they had been unaware that the fees and permits were in the pipeline.
King has said that tour operators at all 385 National Park Service facilities pay fees.

Jan. 2, 2002 – Although Gov. Charles W. Turnbull signed a number of bills over the weekend, he still made use of his veto pen, taking the Legislature to task for overspending funds that are tapped dry.
He line-item vetoed a measure to spend $10 million of the government's community development loan repayment funds. He told Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, "These monies must remain available for repayment of our debt services." He emphasized, "As you may or may not be aware, the Hurricane Marilyn loan has not been forgiven by the federal government, and these monies must be available."
Turnbull item-vetoed several other measures, including tapping the Land Bank Fund for a $3 million appropriation for the Cyril E. King Airport lagoon treatment plant, stressing again that the fund is already over-appropriated.
He also line-item vetoed appropriations for hospital equipment, saying the hospitals should be using money from the Health Revolving Fund. "One of the primary reasons for granting the hospitals semi-autonomous status is to assist them in becoming self-sufficient … however, it appears the hospitals are still relying on appropriations from the General Fund. This cannot and must not continue," Turnbull concluded.

Jan. 2, 2002 – Although Gov. Charles W. Turnbull signed a number of bills over the weekend, he still made use of his veto pen, taking the Legislature to task for overspending funds that are tapped dry.
He line-item vetoed a measure to spend $10 million of the government's community development loan repayment funds. He told Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, "These monies must remain available for repayment of our debt services." He emphasized, "As you may or may not be aware, the Hurricane Marilyn loan has not been forgiven by the federal government, and these monies must be available."
Turnbull item-vetoed several other measures, including tapping the Land Bank Fund for a $3 million appropriation for the Cyril E. King Airport lagoon treatment plant, stressing again that the fund is already over-appropriated.
He also line-item vetoed appropriations for hospital equipment, saying the hospitals should be using money from the Health Revolving Fund. "One of the primary reasons for granting the hospitals semi-autonomous status is to assist them in becoming self-sufficient … however, it appears the hospitals are still relying on appropriations from the General Fund. This cannot and must not continue," Turnbull concluded.