Public open houses will be held in early March to solicit final input on the V.I. National Park's Commercial Services Plan for the long-range management of all commercial use within the park. The open houses are part of the 30-day public comment period that ends on March 20.
All interested persons can meet with park staff, review the plan and offer feedback at the open houses. Presentations on the Draft Plan and question/answer periods will be held several times during each open house.
The open houses will be held at the Marketplace on St. John, third floor, from 10 a.m. to noon March 10 and 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 14; and on St. Thomas at the Ritz Carlton banquet room from 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 12.
Interested groups can also arrange for their own presentation with newsletter/questionnaires by calling 776-6201, ext. 247. Newsletter/questionnaires will be available at a wide variety of locations on St. Thomas and St. John or can be obtained at the phone number above.
The draft plan is available for public review at the Elaine I. Sprauve Public Library and the National Park Visitor Contact Station on St. John; the Enid M. Baa Public Library on St. Thomas; and at National Park Service Headquarters in Christiansted, St. Croix. It can also be viewed at www.nps.gov/viis or on the Friends of the V.I. National Park's Web site. For an electronic copy, e-mail
npplanning@islands.vi.
Comments on the plan should be postmarked by March 20 and addressed to: Planning Office, National Park Service, Virgin Islands National Park, P.O. Box 710, St. John, USVI 00831, or e-mailed to npplanning@islands.vi.

Close to 400 costumed and bejeweled revelers danced the night away Saturday at Mardi Gras, Virgin Islands style at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort. The first-time event was staged by the All Saints School Capital Development Committee.
Party-goers were able to return again and again to a sumptuous grand buffet of more than 20 offerings ranging from creole duck, to mounds of chilled plump oysters on the half shell with exceptionally hot, hot sauce on the side, and whole crayfish, dirty rice, voodoo jambalaya, pecan crusted roasted leg of lamb and much more. Music was provided by P'Your Passion and kept the people jumping.
Upon arrival, each guest was given traditional feathered Mardi Gras masks and was adorned with strands of beads. The decorations, designed by Judith Watson and Maribel Okiye, parents of All Saints School children, transformed the room into a New Orleans street scene. Everywhere was a mass of the traditional Mardi Gras colors of green, purple and gold.
More than 100 businesses contributed prizes for the silent auction, and one of the most popular-selling auction items was a cruise for two donated by WICO, which started a hotly contested bidding war among Dr. Sydney Comissiong and Ronald Lockhart, both alumni of the school, and Mr. and Mrs. Michael Simmonds; Lockhart won.
Some of St. Thomas and St. John's finest eateries donated dinners for two: Hotel 1829, Craig & Sally's, Alexander's, and Chloë and Bernards, on St. John. Ticket and door prizes included a trip to any domestic location that Delta flies and a trip to Chicago or Washington, D.C., from United Airlines, among others.
The event was planned by Judith Watson, chair of the Mardi Gras committee, with assistance from Capital Development Committee members, parents, alumni, students, teachers and the school principal, Mrs. Louise S. Brady.
A moment of silence was held in memory of Winston "Malik" Leonard, a popular former teacher who resigned from the school last month, and who was killed earlier in the week in a motorcycle accident.
The signature event was staged to enhance the current school plant and to build a new one on the 6.5 acres in Fort Mylner generously donated by the Harthman family.
Ten businesses purchased tables for their use: A. H. Riise Stores, Chase Manhattan Bank, Crown Mountain Water, Dudley, Topper & Feuerzeig, Innovative Telephone, Randolph H. Knight, Royal Caribbean, Seslia/Moorhead Family, The Lockhart Companies and Tropical Shipping. A. H. Riise and Crown Mountain Water were noted as providing donated proceeds to make it easier for All Saints staff to attend.
At least one partygoer, Lou Ellen Brown, asked for her name to be put on the top of the list to be the first to buy a ticket for Mardi Gras 2002 — a sure sign that the event was a fun-filled one.

Editor's note: The following is excerpted from an address given by St. Croix Chamber of Commerce president Carmelo Rivera at a Rotary luncheon on Feb. 22 aboard the cruise ship Nordic Empress at the Frederiksted dock.
Growing up in Frederiksted, I use to stand at the top of this pier — by Jacaranda, which was a restaurant and ice cream parlor. Everyone went there. I stood there with my shoeshine box trying to make a few dollars from the visitors who came to the island. But, I could never find a tourist that needed a shoeshine. Tourists always wore flip-flops or sneakers.
In those days, I would dream and ponder whether one day I would have the opportunity to travel and see the world. Thank God, I had a chance to see some of it. I was away for about 20 years. And when I was away, I remember how much I longed to be back home. Now that I have been home, I must confess there are some moments, when I despair and question whether it makes any sense to stay on this island.
Nowadays, I walk to the end of the pier and look at St. Croix from Ham's Bluff to Sandy Point. What I see is natural beauty and enormous potential. And this is what keeps me home. I do not intend to go away. Today, the key question is: How can we make this place realize its fullest potential?
Imagine if we had a plan and we followed that plan. Imagine what St. Croix could be in the next four years, six years, 10 years. But it takes more than wishful thinking; it takes people working together, commitment, energy, smart strategic planning.
There is no reason for us to accept bizarre and negative politics, mediocrity and incompetence in government, abandoned and dilapidated buildings, potholes, garbage on our highways, poor service, corruption in government or poor schools. We must stop accepting lame excuses from our leaders, and especially from ourselves!
To start on the journey of revival and recovery, St. Croix needs an aggressive and comprehensive plan for development. based on fundamental principles and understandings. It must take into consideration our strengths and assets. It must be more important than any person, party, faction or coalition. It must improve our individual and collective quality of life. It must cherish and embrace our diversity. It must create opportunity for all our residents. It must involve government and business working together in partnership. It must be long-term, at least five to eight years. It must set a clear course and continuously be refined.
It is time for:
* training for government excellence and innovation. Too often government employees become supervisors and managers without the requisite skills or training. In this era of technology and global competition, we can no longer run a mom-and-pop government and expect to do business with major corporations. Training can improve worker morale, change the negative culture in our government and reduce the rampant misconduct and abuse of power.
The governor must commit to it. The University of the Virgin Islands could seek to partner with institutions such as George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Municipal Management, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Brookings Institution. Funds for this initiative can be sought from a foundation or the federal government.
* a centralized government facility. Such a center has been proposed on numerous occasions. We waste millions of dollars each year in unsuitable and inadequate government facilities. Sometimes it takes days to get a piece of mail from one government office to another. We also waste money on excessive rents. We must centralize as many government offices and functions as possible, as soon as possible. We must also accelerate the use of technology. Frederiksted would be a fine site for our state-of-the-art government center.
* a convention center. St. Croix loses millions of dollars in business to other destinations because we do not have adequate meeting and convention facilities.
* a sports arena. Like the movie "Field of Dreams" said, "Build it and they will come." We must find an investor to build a professional sports facility. We have world-class athletes. Why not provide more opportunities for our young people to excel in all sports? Sports is a major revenue-generating industry.
* a permanent, well-designed Crucian Festival Village. Our Christmas celebrations can draw thousands of tourists, but our festival villages look like Third World shanties. We should have a permanent site for our village with a great sound stage, paved grounds, sanitary facilities and beautiful cultural pavilions.
* a museum of Caribbean anthropology and culture. St. Croix is the ideal location for such a facility, which if developed properly would be a source of inspiration and pride for residents, celebrating the universality and diversity of the Caribbean people, and would add an exciting dimension to the St. Croix tourism package.
In addition, we need to:
* develop our arts and entertainment industry. A tourist destination must not leave this to chance. Such attractions draw tourists, provide employment and generate revenues. The industry should be developed through special incentives. Activities such as St. Croix's jazz festival should be revived.
* create bicycle trails. St. Croix needs more nature and bicycle trails along highways and in special areas. Biking is an attraction to many and low-cost family entertainment.
* create boating and sailing education programs in our schools. We should expose our children more to the marine industry.
* beautify and replant St. Croix, especially along our roads and at scenic areas. Natural disasters and public recklessness have destroyed most of the palm trees along our roads and on many beaches.
* restore beaches. Because of erosion, pollution and neglect, we are quickly losing our beaches. They should be dredged, protected and regularly cleaned and maintained.
* develop recycling programs. The newly proposed waste management authority is a great idea. Our landfills are full. If we do not act now, we will drown in a sea of garbage! We must immediately implement mandatory recycling and reuse programs.
* develop a well-trained work force. We have a serious skilled-labor shortage, particularly on St. Croix. Many workers are imported while many of our unemployed residents cannot pass a simple test. There is a dire need for nurses, teachers, industrial workers, financial analysts and technology workers.
* expand the St. Croix UVI campus. A good university is a magnet for economic development. The St. Croix campus needs more academic and professional programs and amenities to draw students locally and from elsewhere. Every classroom must be wired for Internet technology.
* develop a charter school system. We must break up the current structure of our school system and allow for more flexibility, innovation and management autonomy among our educators. We must test new models of education. Charter schools (approved in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) are growing fast, enjoying broad bipartisan support from governors, legislators and education officials.
* rename and transform the Education Complex. Labels influence and shape our perception and self-esteem. Perhaps the school should become the School of Technology and Commerce and focus on technology, industrial arts and entrepreneurial development.
* develop a research and technology park. A technology park proposal being considered by UVI should be fast-tracked. I encourage you to look at the "City of Knowledge" that Panama has created.
* develop a transshipment port. Puerto Rico is developing major transshipment port. We are strategically located in the West Indies and should do every thing possible to exploit our tremendous potential for the transshipment business.
* develop homeporting for cruise ships. If we do not do it, someone else will.
* develop the Sunny Isle area, which already has more people than Frederiksted or Christiansted. Let's plan it properly to reduce congestion and haphazard development. The area needs new streets, better infrastructure and services. An urban planning task force of the key stakeholders should be assembled.
* expand our medical care industry. More than $25 million is spent off-island on medical care. We should encourage the expansion and development of this vital industry on St. Croix. Juan F. Luis Hospital should be expanded and modernized so that residents will remain here and people elsewhere will come here for medical treatment.
* relocate and modernize the power utility, With the closure of the St. Croix alumina plant, a new Water and Power Authority plant could be built on the site. It is worth considering as a solution to WAPA's outmoded infrastructure and plant facility.
* develop strategies to revitalize Frederiksted and Christiansted. Our towns must become a source of community pride, social activity and economic potential. Landlords must be accountable for property upkeep. We must modify some preservation laws to have more flexibility to remove the worst eyesores; diversify the towns' economies by identifying potential market niches, finding new uses for vacant or underused spaces; and enhance the downtowns' visual quality (buildings, signs, window displays, landscaping and environment).
Many more worthwhile ideas should also be included in the St. Croix Development Plan.
We must find investors to help us realize these projects. Some will require financing through private and public partnering. Federal and foundation funds should be also leveraged.
The point is that our future on St. Croix can be much brighter. Our quality of life can be vastly improved. I can visualize it. You can visualize it. But we have to roll up our sleeves and make it happen.

Editor's note: Carmelo Rivera, president of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, is the owner of HR Consulting Service, a human resources and management consulting firm on St. Croix which publishes V.I. Business, a onepaper.com online publication. Readers are invited to send comments on this article to source@viaccess.net.

Over Tumbled Graves
by Jess Walter
Fiction, Regan Books-Harper Collins
367 pp, $25.00
Caroline Mabry grabs us on page one as she moves through the riverside park in Spokane, Wash. She is a police officer in disguise, hoping to make a drug bust, but feeling bogged down by the stroller she's pushing. The occupant is a large plastic doll, obviously fake to Caroline and, she thinks, everyone else.
Every person in this tale of violent criminals and the law officers who track them is carefully drawn and brought to life vividly as they move along in the daily routine of work and play. Another cast of players, the prostitutes, star mainly in their role as victims, existing in their tawdry lifestyles on luck and the availability of drugs to make their days bearable.
Sgt. Alan Dupree is watching his marriage come apart as he tries to convince his wife and himself that his being in love with Mabry is not the reason. Nearly every one of his buddies on the force has one or two divorces on file; it seems to go with the job.
A serial killer enters the picture, with corpses appearing as regularly as the morning paper, each placed along the riverbank in exactly the same manner. The Spokane River plays a dominant role in the book, spilling and tumbling with waterfalls, rock formations coloring its rush through the heart of the city.
Police methods of crime detection are always intriguing; here we have two famous FBI experts who detest each other, with contrasting theories of the classic serial killer. In one spot where a TV news team is videotaping the cops at work on the riverbank, the Bureau's Blanton is talking to Mabry on his cell phone: " … I sit alongside your beautiful river, watching McDaniel [the other Bureau officer] explain the peculiar psychosis of your man, Lenny Ryan [the killer], to this walking mound of hairspray [a.k.a. Tom Brokaw] that the crew of this television program mockingly refers to as the talent."
It's wild stuff watching the police follow leads, and as tension tightens, so does our nervous system. Jess Walter, a newspaper journalist, earlier co-wrote a best-selling documentary book about the O.J. Simpson trial, "In Contempt," with one of the prosecutors, Christopher Darden. This is Walter's first fling at fiction. On my scorecard, he's a winner.
"Over Tumbled Graves" is available at Dockside Bookshop in Havensight Mall. To check out other Dockside favorites, click here.

Dear Source:
Melvin Claxton, where are you when we need you? Please come home!
Why is it that when an issue of any kind arises, particularly when it involves the need for critical public information to be made available, and it is clear that the law is on the side of the requestor(s), we consistently read about the lack of response from the governmental entity involved?
Why sit by and bemoan the situation? Every citizen has redress. Go to the courts; don't waste time and taxpayers' money. Let those who are responsible to the people and irresponsible as public servants know you mean business. Demonstration of this type of efficacy is long overdue.
I might remind the Virgin Islands public that one definition of insanity is "continuing to behave in the same manner and expecting different outcomes." It should be obvious, even to the casual observer, that the insanity must come to an end. Behaviors must change, be it the vulgar disparity in the Legislature's budget allocations; the executive branch's inability to level with the public on the territory's real financial situation (adding up the "plus side" and then subtracting the "minus" side would help); the inability of the courts to mete out appropriate sentences for those guilty of heinous crimes against children, rape/abuse and domestic violence; or the total lack of concern regarding drug, alcohol and tobacco prevention programs for your most precious resource, the youth of the Virgin Islands.
Has anyone noted that not one cent of the tobacco settlement dollars awarded to the Virgin Islands will be used for any tobacco prevention or cessation programing, strategies or campaigns?
Reap what you sow? I think so. It may be that some of you should stand up and be counted – in court, on the steps of Government House, and in the hallowed halls of the Legislature – before it really is too late. Melvin may never return. Someone or many must fill the void he left!
Sue Herzog
Rockville, Md. (former Virgin Islander)

The great progress made by Roy L. Schneider Hospital in recent years is a very important story. It is important on at least three levels.
First, health care is a critical component in any healthy society, and public confidence in the quality of care is essential. Second, the broad and systemic improvements that have been made carry with them a fundamental message for all sectors: positive change is possible in the Virgin Islands, and pessimism is unwarranted. Finally, the list of changes and innovations demonstrate the critical role that strong leadership and a single person can play. The most impressive thing about Eugene Woods' performance is his acknowledgement that there is a long way to go, and that there will be no resting on laurels.
There are several other things that stand out in Mr. Woods' description of the hospital's progress. As a leader, he has done what had to be done, rather than what he wanted to do. It is also clear that he views his position as a responsibility rather than as property, a perception that too few Virgin Islands officials share. And finally, rather than hogging credit, he shares it with others, thereby creating the platform for future change. These are the definitions of effective leadership.
Health care and education have been viewed as disaster areas in recent years in the Virgin Islands. Richard Hall's recent op-ed piece on education (The Source. Jan. 21) provides an agenda for change that parallels the improvements that Mr. Woods and his team have made in health care. Like the situation at the hospital several years ago, there is the great advantage of an indefensible status quo, a situation that is so bad that it seems almost evil to be an opponent of change.
Add to this the ingredients that have fueled Mr. Woods' success, a vision, a strategy, a plan, a lot of attention to detail, and (we must assume) a doggedness in the face of apathy and resistance to change, and you have a recipe for significantly improved schools. With that improvement will come new hope for youngsters whose futures currently get dimmer on a daily basis.
Find a leader. Define a vision. Develop a plan. Invest the needed resources. Build a team. Move the obstacles to change and higher standards out of the way, and you will have a second model for success. Who knows, the idea of systematic improvement, high quality, and excellence could catch on. That would be a beautiful thing: public education and public health, the twin prides of the New Virgin Islands. After the successes of the hospital, nobody can say that it isn't possible.
Management consultant Frank Schneiger has worked with V.I. agencies since 1975, most recently as consultant to United Way of St. Thomas/St. John. He is one of the founders of the St. Thomas/St. John Youth Multiservice Center.
Readers are invited to send comments on this article to source@viaccess.net.

Hundreds of Virgin Islanders on the University of the Virgin Islands golf course sampled a kaleidoscope of native food and drinks, pastries and took in pulsating music at UVI's Afternoon on the Green, a fund-raising event now in its 12th year. Aside from the Sea Breeze Band, there were guest appearances by the UVI Jazz Ensemble, Mungo Niles Cultural Dancers, mocko jumbies, jugglers, and dancers from the V.I. Institute for the Performing Arts.
Dozens of tables of food were set up under tents in the middle of the golf course; a barbecue pit served up chicken legs, hotdogs and hamburgers. St. Thomas Dairies provided an ice cream concession and UVI set up tables with information on registration and courses available at the university.
At the end of the day, UVI Vice President for Institutional Advancement Gwen Marie Moolenaar was pleased at the outcome. "I am absolutely overjoyed, it was such a special day," she said. "The food was wonderful, the music was great and the weather cooperated."
She noted that the "cultural diversity" theme of this year's Afternoon on the Green was played out as "every ethnic or racial group was represented here."
Moolenaar said planning for next year's event is already underway.

President Clinton's 11th hour declaration of national underwater monuments off St. John and St. Croix has rankled a lot of Virgin Islanders.
Turnbull administration officials claim they weren't offered sufficient input on the plan, a contention that some environmentalists see as a convenient excuse to dodge the flak being directed at Clinton's action. Local fishermen are worried that any no-fishing policy in the monument areas will cripple their ability to earn a living. And several past and present officials maintain that the territorial government – not the federal government – owns much of the land in question, which, if true, would seem to negate the legality of Clinton's action.
We understand and sympathize with all of these concerns.
But we also believe that the goal of protecting and preserving the reefs and marine life in the underwater acres around our islands is a worthy one.
President Clinton, in his proclamation, designated a new V.I. Coral Reef National Monument in about 12,000 underwater acres around St. John. He dramatically expanded the Buck Island Reef National Monument off St. Croix from 900 acres to more than 18,000 acres. The Interior Department has three years to develop a management plan for the St. John park and two years for the Buck Island park.
Those plans are likely to move forward in tandem with the dispute over the ownership of the underwater acreage. So it would behoove us – all of us – to make sure that those management plans reflect the needs of this community.
The biggest issue, in our view, involves local fishing rights. While local fishermen clearly understand the need to preserve and protect the reefs and marine life in these areas, they also want to preserve and protect their livelihoods. We believe it is possible to find a balance between the fishermen's needs and the community's long-term interest in ensuring the health and beauty of our reefs.
The designation of these underwater monuments is not necessarily a bad thing – in fact, it is a good thing, though we wish it been done with the local government's full input and blessing. But in fighting the feds over ownership and over overstepping their bounds, let's not lose sight of the need to protect our underwater environment. If we really want to keep our eyes on the prize, that's it.

College-bound students living in the U.S. Virgin Islands can apply for U.S.V.I. Educational Opportunity Grants being offered by Monroe College in New Rochelle, New York.
Students who qualify academically for admission to the business and technology college and who are eligible for financial aid, can receive up to $5,400 in grants per academic year. Marc Jerome, vice president and director of Monroe’s New Rochelle campus, said that the college instituted the grant program to supplement U.S. government Pell Grants, which are also available to qualified U.S. Virgin Island residents and which can amount to up to $1,650 per semester.
The scholarship grant is competitive and so all interested applicants are encouraged to call Mary Ann O’Brien at 1-914-632-5400 and as early as possible to schedule an interview or to attend an open house at the following times and locations:
– March 5, 9 a.m. to noon: St. Croix Educational Complex
– March 5, 5 p.m. to 7p.m. Monroe College Presentation and Open House Reception for prospective students, Buccaneer Hotel
– March 6, 9 a.m. to noon: St. Croix Central High School
– March 7, 9 a.m. to noon: Eudora Keon High School, St. Thomas
– March 7, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Monroe College Presentation and Open House Reception for prospective students, Holiday Inn, Veterans Drive, St. Thomas
– March 8, 9 a.m. to noon: Charlotte Amolie High School, St. Thomas
Monroe offers Associate’s degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Science, Health Information Technology, Hospitality Management and Office Technologies. It offers Bachelor’’s degrees in Accounting, Business Management and Information Systems. Monroe has been accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, since 1990, assuring students who achieve academic success a greater likelihood of acceptance into graduate degree and doctoral programs.
Its on-time graduation and job placement rate is well above the national average, with better than 90 percent of its students securing jobs in their chosen profession by the time they graduate.
To register for an interview, contact Mary Ann O’Brien, 914-632-5400, ext. 402. For more detailed information on admission to Monroe College and its U.S. Educational Opportunity Grant financial aid program, contact Gersom Lopez, Director of International Admissions, at 1-914-632-5400 or via e-mail glopez@monroecoll.edu. Or visit Monroe College.

A routine traffic stop and subsequent chase through an East End restaurant led to the arrest of five St. Thomas men early Saturday morning. During the chase, the men abandoned their vehicle and ran through the Latitude 18 bar and restaurant in an unsuccessful attempt to elude police officers in hot Pursuit.
The men were taken into custody on a dock near the restaurant shortly afterwards. Police sources said this weekend that Officers stopped the vehicle the five were in because of a "suspicion of illegal activity."
An illegal firearm was found in the vehicle during a search after the chase ended. The five were identified on the police blotter as Melvin Bruney of Smith Bay, Devan Boyd of Estate Tutu, Jose Squiabro of Oswald Harris Court, Winston Saddler of Estate Tutu and James Virgil of Paul M. Pearson Gardens Housing community.
Bail was set at $25,000 for each of the men, who were remanded to custody and are expected to make their initial court appearance later today in Territorial Court.
In other news from V.I. police, three persons were injured Sunday afternoon in an accident involving a police unit on Moravian Highway at the intersection near the Pueblo supermarket in Sub Base and Bellow's International. One of the injured, a police officer, was taken by ambulance to Roy L. Schneider Hospital after complaining of chest pains; the passenger of the other vehicle required almost two dozen stitches to close lacerations to both arms. The vehicle's driver suffered a cut to the head.
The accident occurred around 3 p.m. Sunday and blocked traffic for at least two blocks in either direction. One of the vehicles involved, a Suzuki Swift, had its entire left side smashed in; the police vehicle suffered a dent to the right front quarter-panel.
No citations had been issued as of Sunday night; an investigation is continuing.