Dear Source:
Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with each one of us.
Thoughts on the wanton destruction of life caused by the thoughtless value placed on existence and extinction: When bodies of children, mothers, daughters and fathers whose lives have been exterminated because of a difference in ideology are piled like endless stacks of firewood, whose purpose does this serve? Warfare does nothing but take the innocent along with those who propose to bring a change for the better. Where is the justice, and who will speak for those who are no more?
Abandoned dreams and hopes are smashed by oppression, hate and intolerance brought on by the judgments formed on the foundation of ignorance, fear and the lack of respect for those who are different and usually have the most to lose. Why can we always find money to support a war, but there's never enough to feed the poor?
Radical leaders who demonstrate peace do not quiver under the threat of death but take a stand when they are most criticized for not participating in mute regimes. They know that to keep their silence is giving open consent to wrongdoing which will affect the future of those held close their hearts.
We go into this century fooled by power and greed, yet we have not learned the lessons of the past. Devastations of war such as famine, orphans, homelessness, hopelessness, plague and disease, just to name a few, have rendered us vulnerable to those we have wreaked havoc on. Revelation is revealed, but do we take heed? No, we who cause and fuel war bring these apocalypses on ourselves and cannot see the future because we only focus on the present.
Caroline A. Browne
St. Thomas

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Sept. 13, 2001 – Cars heading to Cyril E. King Airport Thursday morning were met by a Port Authority Police van blocking the road. Although a provisional green light had been given by the federal government for the nation's airports to resume traffic at 11 a.m. Thursday, the St. Thomas facility remained closed at noon, pending implementation of newly mandated security measures.
Port Authority Police Sgt. Merlin Christian had been given instructions to turn traffic back.
In the meantime, Ben Grimes, St. Thomas air traffic controller, said in answer to questions about when the airport would re-open, "I wish we knew. We want to open, but the onus is on each airport and each airline to implement security measures, and St. Thomas's aren't ready to go yet."
Only airline and airport employees were being allowed to enter the airport. A perplexed individual turned back by Christian said he just wanted to go to the Planning and Natural Resources Department offices on the upper floor of the airport terminal to get a permit which a DPNR staff member had just told him to come and pick up.
Representatives of the Avis and Hertz rental car companies stood at the airport entrance, telling their customers to return their cars to the company's maintenance facilities nearby.
Christian said only employees of Rush It and other businesses with offices at the airport were being allowed to enter. Customers will have to wait until the airport officially reopens, she said, patiently explaining to car after car that she didn't know when that would be.

Sept. 13, 2001 – Cars heading to Cyril E. King Airport on Thursday morning were met by a Port Authority police van blocking the road. Although a provisional green light had been given by the federal government for the nation's airports to resume traffic at 11 a.m. Thursday, the St. Thomas facility remained closed at noon, pending implementation of newly mandated security measures.
Port Authority Police Sgt. Merlin Christian had been given instructions to turn traffic back.
In the meantime, Ben Grimes, St. Thomas air traffic controller, said in answer to questions about when the airport would re-open, "I wish we knew. We want to open, but the onus is on each airport and each airline to implement security measures, and St. Thomas's aren't ready to go yet."
Only airline and airport employees were being allowed to enter the airport. A perplexed individual turned back by Christian said he just wanted to go to the Planning and Natural Resources Department offices on the upper floor of the airport terminal to get a permit which a DPNR staff member had just told him to come and pick up.
Representatives of the Avis and Hertz rental car companies stood at the airport entrance, telling their customers to return their cars to the company's maintenance facilities nearby.
Christian said only employees of Rush It and other businesses with offices at the airport were being allowed to enter. Customers will have to wait until the airport officially reopens, she said, patiently explaining to car after car that she didn't know when that would be.

The St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island Branch of the Republican Party will hold a food sale beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, in the Fort Christian Parking Lot.
Tickets can be obtained at Jimmie Bee's Restaurant, V.I. Rum Cake Shop or from Republican members.
Native dishes will be served and the public is cordially invited.

The St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island Branch of the Republican Party will hold a food sale beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Fort Christian Parking Lot.
Tickets can be obtained at Jimmie Bee's Restaurant, V. I. Rum Cake Shop or from Republican members.
Native dishes will be served and the public is cordially invited.

The University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Campus, will host the St. croix Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Student Center.
The UVI's Divisions of Business Administration and Institutional Advancement will be featured. There will be door prizes and cash bar.
For more information call 773-1435.

The University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Campus, will host the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours at 5:30 p.m on Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Student Center.
The UVI's Division of Business Administration and Institutional Advancement will be featured. There will be door prizes and a cash bar.
For more informaiton call 773-1435.

The St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island Branch of the Republican Party is holding a food sale beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, in the Fort Christian Parking Lot.
Tickets can be obtained at Jimmie Bee's Restaurant, V.I. Rum Shop or from Republican members.
Native dishes will be served and the public is cordially invited.

The St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island Branch of the V.I. Republican Party is holding a food sale beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, in the Fort Christian Parking Lot.
Tickets can be obtained at Jimmie Bee's Restaurant, V.I. Rum Cake Shop or from Republican members. Native dishes will be served and the public is cordially invitd.

Sept. 13, 2001 – Regularly scheduled civilian air traffic across the nation began resuming at 11 a.m. Thursday, but it was clear that the number of flights would be limited, and the timeline for a return to full operations remained uncertain.
No specific information concerning flights into or out of the Virgin Islands was immediately available.
As of 9 a.m., David Mapp, Port Authority assistant director, had no word on when flights in and out of the territory's two airports would resume. He said that the Federal Aviation Administrator advised him that he would receive more information near noon.
Two airplanes were stranded at Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas when the FAA closed all airports on Tuesday, Mapp said. One is the American Airlines plane that left New York's Kennedy Airport around 8 a.m. that day. The other is an American Eagle plane.
Mapp said Cape Air officials told him they are ready to resume flights between St. Thomas and St. Croix. He said many local residents, including himself, have not been able to get back to their home island. He said there were cars lined up outside Cyril E. King Airport filled with people hoping for flights out Thursday.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced that some airports would reopen at that hour. Around 5 p.m. Wednesday, he had announced authorization for the aircraft diverted on Tuesday for emergency landing to reboard passengers from those flights and transport them to their ticketed destinations. Those flights began taking place Wednesday night. Many had been diverted to Canada.
Some officials indicated it would be "several days" before all airports reopened; others suggested it might be longer than that. There also have been repeated advisories that passengers should expect check-in to take up to two hours, even for domestic flights.
Anyone wanting specific information about flights scheduled to depart and arrive in the Virgin Islands should try to contact the airlines directly. Toll-free numbers are given below.
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft stated Thursday morning that the top priority of the federal government with regard to resuming flights was "to secure airports and airplanes."
According to media reports, the beefed-up security will include such things as these:
– No more use of electronic ticketing (by computer, with purchasers issued ticket numbers and other information to print out for themselves).
– No more curbside check-in of baggage.
– No more access to boarding areas by non-passengers.
– No more allowing of passengers to carry aboard small knives, including plastic knives.
– Requirement of certified, uniformed personnel to operate scanners and other security check-point operations.
– Random identification checks at airports.
– Close monitoring of all vehicles arriving at airports.
– Use of dogs for security.
In the Virgin Islands, the ban imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration applies to inter-island flights, including those by seaplane, as well as flights from outside the territory.
Toll-free passenger information numbers for off-island airlines serving the territory are:
American 1-800-474-4884
Continental 1-787-793-7373
Delta 1-800-325-1999, 1-800-221-1212
United 1-800-241-6522
USAir 1-800-622-1015