Dec. 17, 2001 – One of the trappings of the office of governor of the Virgin Islands is that its occupant gets to play Santa several key times of the year to the territory's government workers, and one of those times just happens to be the Christmas season. Gov. Charles W. Turnbull assumed the role Monday and delivered the goods.
He proclaimed administrative leave for non-essential government employees on the following schedule:
All islands:
– Monday, Dec. 24, all day (Christmas Eve day).
– Friday, Jan. 4, all day (Crucian Christmas Festival Children's Parade).
– Monday, Jan. 7, all day (Three Kings Day observed).
St. Croix only, for the Crucian Christmas Festival — all of the above, plus:
– Friday, Dec. 21, 1 – 5 p.m. (Food, Art and Craft Fair).
– Thursday; Jan. 3, all day (J'Ouvert).
In addition, the following are regular annual V.I. government holidays:
– Christmas Day — Tuesday, Dec. 25.
– New Year's Day — Tuesday, Jan. 1.
– The Crucian Christmas Festival Adults' Parade. However, the parade will be on Saturday, Jan. 4, this year, and an alternative workday will not be observed as a holiday.
– Three Kings Day — Jan. 6. However, that is a Sunday, and Monday, Jan. 7, will be observed as the holiday.
In a release, the governor said the festival, St. Croix's annual carnival celebration, "is a boost to our economy and helps to promote an understanding and appreciation of our culture."
The release stated that Turnbull had issued a memorandum to all government agency heads noting that the administrative leave granted does not apply to essential employees and that it's up to agency heads to determine who is essential and who is not. He also told the Finance commissioner to review all payrolls submitted for the time period "to ensure compliance with the proclamation."

Dec. 17, 2001 – When forest fires lit Holston Mountain in Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee, recently, firefighters from Jacobs Creek Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center answered the call. And among the 10-man crew that arrived on the scene an hour later was Takebo Malone of St. Thomas.
The Job Corps firefighters, most in their late teens or early 20s, according to a Job Corps release, worked at the scene for five days until the seven fires burning across 285 acres were contained.
Malone enrolled at Jacobs Creek Center, which is within the Cherokee National Forest, in March of this year, at the age of 18, and has nearly completed his GED, said Michael Scott Moore, supervisor of the St. Thomas-St. Croix Job Corps offices.
"He's a very bright, very industrious young man," said Moore, noting that Malone plans to continue his education at a community college. "We're proud of him."
Malone is one of eight student-volunteer firefighters at the center.
"We are very proud of our firefighters," Jacobs Creek Center director Fred Rowe said. "Whenever and wherever the U.S. Forest Service needs us, Jacobs Creek will be ready."
Once the Jacobs Creek firefighters pass the physical requirements – carrying a 45-pound pack three miles in 45 minutes or less at a walking pace – they take a three-day training course in safety and technique. Then they wait for the call, which usually comes once or twice a year.
In August, Jacobs Creek dispatched a crew to Moses Lake, Wash., where Job Corps firefighters stayed two weeks battling a blaze in the Okanogan National Forest.
The Jacobs Creek crew on Holston Mountain included two Job Corps staffers and seven other students in addition to Malone.
"It was easier the second time, because I knew what to expect," said Roscoe Jackson, 19, a culinary arts student who was on his second response assignment. "Getting the experience of fighting fires, it’s kind of exciting. But I don’t think I’d do it for a living."
Why do it at all? Some Job Corps students do it for the money, earning $10 to $11 per hour. Others do it for the excitement, the release said. All earn respect from their peers at Jacobs Creek and sincere thanks from the U.S. Forest Service.
"We pretty much hand-pick who we take," said Wayne Corder, assistant residential living supervisor at Jacobs Creek and firefighters crew boss since 1987. "They’re sort of the cream of the crop. We have a sign: Only The Best Go West."
Established in 1964, Job Corps is the nation’s oldest and largest job-training program. Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, it provides training, room and board, and medical care at 118 centers nationwise at no cost to students, who also receive a living allowance. Most youths spend about eight months in the program.

Dec. 17, 2001 – The newly released children's book "Grannie and the Jumbie" by St. Thomian Margaret M. Hurst is as much a parable for 3 to 7 year olds as it is a perfect vehicle for Hurst's colorful and unique fabric illustrations, which she calls "story fabric."
Born and raised on St. Thomas, Hurst has literally woven a Caribbean tale with "pieces … from dresses I remember my mom wearing; some from dresses that she made" about the bold and boastful Emanuel, "a very small chile," and his unfortunate encounter with an evil-spirited Jumbie.
The story is short and simple – a fable told in West Indian dialect – about what happens to this arrogant little boy who doesn't listen to the wisdom of his "grannie" and so "He play with his shadow and walk on the cemetery graves!"
But having ignored his grannie's admonitions, Emanuel is visited by the evil-spirited Jumbie who is "angry about Emanuel's boastful ways" and nearly carries the boy away. But thanks to Mista Moko Jumbie, well … let's not give away the story.
Hurst's tale has risen from her childhood memories of the local lore. She grew up versed in West Indian folklore and participating in Carnival. "I have been a red hibiscus, an angelfish, an American colonial woman, a flamingo, a grasshopper, a jellyfish, an Olympic athlete and a star in the American flag," she says.
Along with the fabric from her mother's dresses, Hurst also drew from her experiences as a child working at Jim Tillett's studio. "On rainy Saturdays my mom would pile friends and cousins into the car and drive us to Mr. Tillett's. He would allow us to silk-screen colorful patterns onto the long rows of white cotton fabric."
Much of the fabric actually came from those days at Tillett's, Hurst said.
After she created the "story fabric," a beautiful and intricate interweaving of fabric and story, the illustrations were then photographed for use in the book.
Two of them have been chosen for showing at the 44th annual Society of Illustrators Exhibition in February in New York City. They will also be produced in the society's catalogue.
Hurst left St. Thomas in the late 1970s after graduating from All Saints Cathedral School. She went on to graduate from Boston University, Parsons School of Design and the Passalacqua School.
"Grannie and the Jumbie" is her first children's book, but not her last. She is currently working on another about African Indians.
She has taken the story of "Grannie and the Jumbie" into performance by creating puppets of the characters. At the Brooklyn Museum and two of its branches, she has read and played the story for children.
Her favorite performance, she says, was at the annex in Flatbush, where she met a group of West Indians. "They were so lovely," she says. "One of the women offered to make me bullfoot soup."
Along with being an enchanting tale for young children, the book also is one of those adults love for the sake of the original art and design.
Being written and designed by a local author and artist makes it even more desirable as a special gift in the Christmas season.
The book is available on St Thomas at Dockside Bookshop and can be ordered via e-mail at dockside@islands.vi, or call 340-774-4937.

The Good Hope School invites the community to its Holiday Concert on Wednesday at the Savage Center for the Performing Arts. Festivities will include performances by the Upper School Choir and Band.
For more information call 772-0022.

Dec. 14, 2001 – The Good Hope School invites the community to attend its Holiday Concert at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 19, in the Savage Center for the Performing Arts. The Festivities will include performances by the Upper School Choir and Band.
Call 772-0022 for more information.

Senate President Almando Liburd presents a Pre-Christmas Concert Celebration on Thursday at Cruz Bay Park. Various St. John groups will give musical selections.

Editor's note: This is a copy sent to the Source of another letter sent to the governor regarding the rezoning of Botany Bay.
Dear Source,
I am writing to ask you to veto Bill 24-0199, rezoning of Estate Botany Bay from R-1 to R-3, which was passed by the Legislature against the recommendations of the Planning and Natural Resources Department, as well as against the wishes of many public interest groups and scientific experts. Development of Botany Bay will cause unacceptable and irrevocable harm to both the terrestrial and marine environment of the area, both through the process of developing the area into a resort and residential community and through human activities once the resort and residential community are developed.
Permitting development of Estate Botany Bay without careful oversight by DPNR, as would have occurred if a variance had been granted instead of rezoning, would be an irresponsible act of government.
My concern with the rezoning of Botany Bay is that of a citizen, a voter and a marine biologist. I am deeply disturbed by the action of the Legislature, which demonstrates total disregard for the counsel and careful study of DPNR as well as the wishes of VI residents. While my concerns are for the general environmental harm that this rezoning will cause, my arguments against rezoning are based on my expertise as a marine biologist. I am an assistant professor of marine biology at the University of the Virgin Islands and I hold a Ph.D. in zoology. My field of specialization is corals and coral reefs, which I have studied around the world for over 15 years.
Botany Bay and the area surrounding it is the last remaining undeveloped pristine area off St. Thomas. Although no recent quantitative marine surveys of the environment there have been done, qualitative surveys demonstrate that the marine environment there contains "an abundance of sea life," as described in the developers' report on the area.
I personally have visited and rapidly surveyed this area with other marine biologists. We found a healthy reef community there thriving with fish, hard corals, sea fans, algae and many other marine creatures. What was especially remarkable about the coral community there was the general lack of disease and the presence of large colonies of elkhorn corals.
Elkhorn corals have been one of the primary components of Caribbean coral reefs. They were a primary contributor to the reef framework and they thrive in high water flow. In the 1980s, their populations were decimated — by some estimates by 95 percent — due to diseases and hurricanes. The "ghosts" of these magnificent corals — their skeletal remnants — are visible in many areas around the Virgin Islands, while it is rare to see many large, healthy colonies in one place.
In fact, this coral remains so rare throughout the Caribbean that since 1999 the U.S. government has been considering listing it as a threatened or endangered species. It already is listed, along with all other corals, in a regional legal agreement for the wider Caribbean called the Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to ensure protection and recovery, as well as to maintain populations at the highest possible levels. The elkhorn corals in Botany and Sandy Bays are healthier and greater in number than in any other area off St. Thomas or St. John.
The presence of these healthy elkhorn colonies in Botany and Sandy Bays is a very hopeful sign. Since the '80s, coral reefs of the Caribbean, like other coral reefs around the world, have continued to suffer from natural disasters as well as increased impacts from human activities. This means that many of our coral reefs are now suffering from multiple stresses that make recovery difficult. In the past, any one of these impacts alone may not have greatly affected the reefs. Today, due to the multiple stresses impinging upon them, they remain very fragile and their recovery is uncertain.
Places with healthy coral populations are valuable not only in and of themselves but also because they provide propagules that travel by water currents and reseed other nearby areas. Part of Estate Botany Bay and most of the areas adjacent to it were declared an Area of Particular Concern by the V.I. government in 1994. Any harm done adjacent to the APC also will have an impact on the APC — there are no walls in the marine environment.
Coral reefs are of the utmost importance to the Virgin Islands. They provide physical protection for our coastlines from ocean waves, storm damage and erosion. They also are of tremendous economic value in terms of fisheries and tourism. In fact, they are the foundation of our tourist industry: Tourists come here for white sand beaches, clear waters and beautiful underwater scenery. If our coral reefs continue to degrade, so will our tourist industry.
Although no quantitative marine studies have been done to estimate the impact of the rezoning proposed by Botany Bay developers on the marine environment, there is no doubt that development of the area will cause harm to the marine environment. The negative impacts of development on coral reefs in combination with other human activities and natural disasters have been documented around the world. We have only to look at Jamaica for a glimpse of the level of change and destruction possible.
The actual construction of the development and resort if rezoning is allowed will lead to runoff and sedimentation, both of which will have negative impacts on the coral reef community. If a structure is put in place to minimize erosion at Sandy Bay, it also will certainly have a negative impact on the marine environment, both directly during construction and indirectly in terms of changes in current flow.
Once the resort and development are in place, human activities will be a source of constant stress for the marine environment. Currently, impact from human activities is minimal. Only a handful of people have access to Estate Botany Bay by land, and use for fishing and marine recreation is minimal.
At 70 percent occupancy, if two people are assumed to occupy each unit in the development proposed in the rezoning application, there could be 420 guests using the area at any one time — without taking into consideration the number of people employed at the resort. Motorized water activities, which have many negative impacts on the marine environment, will be permitted in Sandy Bay, although not in Botany Bay.
There are few St. Thomas areas that have remained unaffected by human activities, and Botany Bay is one of them. It is an invaluable resource and treasure that should be cared for with great consideration. It was recommended in 1993 that the area be made the cornerstone of a territorial park. Despite the APC designation in 1994, a management plan for the area has yet to be developed.
If any development occurs at Botany Bay, it should be done under a variance after an APC management plan has been put in place — and with strict oversight that insures that the area is developed only as has been proposed, with a minimal amount of harm. It is very clear that rezoning of Estate Botany Bay is an irresponsible act that will cause unacceptable and irrevocable harm to both the terrestrial and marine environments, ruining another piece of our dwindling natural environment and the birthright of our children.
Sandra L. Romano
St. Thomas

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.

Dec. 17, 2001 – People on St. John who want to recycle aluminum cans and bottles made of No. 1 plastic now can drop them off any time at bins located outside the V.I. National Park Visitor Center in Cruz Bay. "By the stairs," park ranger Deanna Somerville said.
No. 1 plastic is clear and has a "1" marked inside the "recycle" triangle on the bottom. This is the plastic used for individual water bottles, fruit-drink containers and such things as ketchup and barbecue sauce — but not water and milk jugs. Bottles should have their caps removed before they are placed in a bin.
Aluminum cans are for the most part soda and beer containers and do not need to be washed, although they should be emptied.
Until now, St. John residents who wanted to recycle aluminum and No. 1 plastic had to connect with the St. Thomas-based Sanitary Trash Removal Service recycler who visits St. John only on Wednesday mornings by the Cruz Bay tennis courts.
STMS plays 50 cents a pound for aluminum and 25 cents a pound for the plastic, but the half-day-a-week schedule is not convenient for many would-be recyclers. Although the park is not paying for the discarded aluminum and plastic, it offers convenience. The bins are accessible any time, even when the Visitor Center is closed.
Somerville said the park will sell the aluminum and plastic to Sanitary Trash Removal Service and the money will be used to expand the park recycling program. In November, she said, the park set up aluminum and plastic recycling bins at the Julius E. Sprauve, Guy Benjamin, Pine Peace and St. John Christian Academy schools for their own use. The students also plan to sell the aluminum and plastic to STMS and will use their proceeds to fund school projects.
"We're trying to teach the kids it's worth it to pick up cans and bottles," Somerville said. In fact, she said, anyone who would like to help the schools might drop off their cans and bottles at those facilities, rather than take them to the Visitor Center.
While the park and school efforts will help reduce the amount of aluminum and plastic that gets transported from the Susannaberg transfer station to the Bovoni landfill on St. Thomas, it doesn't deal with the large number of glass bottles that arrive on St. John. That project belongs to the St. John Recycling Council, which is looking for a place to set up its glass crusher. Norm Gledhill, a council member, said the crushed glass will used for backfill in construction projects and in building drainage areas. The sand that is separated out can be used in concrete plaster, he said.
Gledhill applauded the park efforts with aluminum and plastic recycling. "Anything they do is helpful," he said.
Somerville said the park is looking for volunteers to assist the schools in their recycling efforts. If you would like to help or learn more, call her at 776-6201, ext. 262, or Pat Dinisio at 776-6201, ext. 263.

Dec. 17, 2001 – The Crown Bay shopping development planned by two cruise lines and the Port Authority has been shopped all around the Caribbean for years, with no takers — until now on St. Thomas, according to Edward Thomas, president of The West Indian Co.
Thomas made the comment while guesting Friday on the "Leona" talk show on WVWI Radio. During the program, he got into a heated debate with Attorney General Iver Stridiron, a VIPA board member, when Stridiron called in to refute statements Thomas made about the Crown Bay development plans.
The Port Authority, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Carnival Corp. have signed a letter of intent calling for the cruise companies to lengthen the Crown Bay dock and build and operate an adjacent shopping center. No one has objected to the dock expansion, but the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, several Charlotte Amalie retailers and property owners and Thomas oppose the shopping center, saying it could have a disastrous effect on downtown and Havensight shopping.
On Monday morning, according to informed sources, members of the boards of The West Indian Co., the Port Authority and the St. Thomas- St. John Chamber of Commerce met with Gov. Charles W. Turnbull at Government House to work on a plan whereby WICO, and not the cruise lines, would build the Crown Bay project.
Turnbull is reported to be opposed to the cruise lines' plan.
On the radio Friday, Thomas said that he had spoken with John Tercek, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines vice president for commercial development, a couple of weeks ago in San Juan, where Thomas was invited for the inauguration of RCCL's newest ship, the Adventure of the Seas. According to Thomas, Tercek told him, "I want to be a landlord just like you. Why should we bring two million people to St. Thomas, and only Virgin Island merchants get to take advantage of that market?"
Thomas said he has documented information that the cruise lines have been trying to interest Caribbean islands from Barbados up through Sint Maarten in a similar proposal since 1999, and "VIPA has been the only one to accept it."
In his call-in, Stridiron said he would like to have Tercek and Giora Israel, Carnival Corp. vice president for strategic planning, appear on the radio show and explain how the agreement would benefit the Virgin Islands. Stridiron said the agreement is intended to see that native Virgin Islanders have a piece of the action. "The two largest cruise lines in the world have said they want to partner with us," Stridiron said. "They want a long-term relationship with the V.I."

Dec. 17, 2001 -Deputy Police Chief Theodore Carty said Monday that he had "some good leads" on a stabbing that left Clement Smith, 20, of St. Thomas, dead Saturday.
Carty said "hopefully, this week" he will know the identity of the assailant who stabbed Smith, who was found dead on lower Kronprindsens Gade early Saturday morning.
Smith and another man had an argument, after which the other man stabbed Smith and fled the scene, Carty said.
Smith's death was the territory's 26th homicide of the year and the 14th on St. Thomas.
In 2000, there were 18 homicides in the territory, 11 of them on St. Thomas.