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.

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.

The working press will have a lot of paperwork and new criteria to meet to enter the "media galleries" of the legislative chambers and conference rooms, Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd has announced.
In a memo faxed to some of the media Friday afternoon, Liburd said that "no persons except accredited press … shall be granted access to the media galleries of the legislative chambers and conference rooms and no persons except accredited press … shall be permitted to record, photograph, film or transmit live proceedings of the Legislature."
In order to obtain accreditation, media members must "apply in writing to the Senate president stating the name of the media organ that employs the press representative and any other occupation or employment he or she may have. The press representative shall further declare in the application that he or she is not employed, directly or indirectly, to assist in the prosecution of the legislative business of any person, corporation, or association, and will not become so employed while retaining the privilege of an accredited press representative."
Liburd said Sunday evening the meaning of his memo had been misconstrued by the media. "It is not our intention to bar the media from the Legislature. That would be unconstitutional." He said the intention was to establish a policy, as is done in other state Legislatures, and to assure that credentialed media would always have a place in the press gallery whenever they arrived for a session.
"Anyone can sit whereever they want," he said, "but if they are sitting in the back, they won't be allowed to take pictures."
As far as the clause indicating that media people must not be involved in "the prosecution of the legislative business of any person…" Liburd said it has nothing to do with the suggestion by some senators and journalists that legal action may be necessary to obtain financial information that Liburd has failed to release, despite repeated requests, about the 24th Legislature’s spending.
Rather, he said, it is to keep "special key people from doing a hatchet job" on a senator or particular individual or from "seeking to defame or misrepresent what you say."
Liburd repeated this was standard in other Legislatures and said he would have someone on his staff send "supporting documentation," which had not arrived as of publication.
He did not explain why the media representatives would be required to indicate any other employment held by reporters, except to say it was standard procedure elsewhere.
Along with accreditation, the media will be required to "adhere to the dress code established … by the rules of the 24th Legislature, " which, according to a story in The Avis, which broke the story and accompanied it with a scathing editorial indictment, includes not wearing "short pants, slippers or sleeveless shirts."
The Avis editorial said, “Aside from the sheer silliness of imposing an arbitrary dress code…the startling notion that our lawmakers are spending their time dreaming up ways to harass the media is disconcerting. Further, since when has the Legislature been a venue in which one could be assured of proper decorum? (Sen. Adelbert) Bryan and some of his colleagues have from time to time turned the Conference Room into a stage for three-ring circuses, clowns and all. Will this inappropriate behavior now be proscribed? Nope."
Bryan, who according to the Avis also sent a memo about the new policies to some of the media Friday, was chastised during previous Legislatures for turning off lights and microphones in the chambers; he has punched one colleague and threatened others. He was found guilty of a misdemeanor in 1998 for destroying a camera that Daily News photographer Steve Rockstein was using in the Senate chambers to take photos of senators.
Liburd said the new media regulations had nothing to do with the controversial "press conference" held by Mario Moorhead and Bryan in the Senate Chambers on Friday, Feb. 16, during which Moorhead slammed the media, particularly on St. Thomas, referring to them as "good-for-nothing, lily-white St. Thomas journalists."
Liburd said, "I don't condone that and can't speak to what was said by an individual who isn't a member of the Senate. Setting a policy," he repeated "is in no way an attempt to disallow any media," from attending legislative meetings.
Liburd's memo claimed "these polices are in accordance with standard practices in the U.S. Capitol and in state capitols around the country and are within the spirit and letter of" the territory’s Sunshine Act.

Department of Planning and Natural Resources officials told more than two dozen people Friday evening , they are ready to crack down on jet skiers who don't follow the rules.
The group was gathered in the DPRN conference room to participate in an educational seminar on the operation of personal watercraft (PWC), commonly known as jet skis. Attending the seminar were rental operators, jet ski owners, and many concerned citizens, among them a contingent identified as the Water Bay Jet Ski Action Group.
"Jet skis are becoming problematic in this area," said Lucia Roberts-Francis, DPNR director of environmental enforcement,. "We want to bring you to a certain level of awareness so that safety is first and foremost before we start losing lives," she said.
By design, PWC’s are inherently more dangerous that other motor boats because the operator is on the outside instead of inside. Not only are operators at risk, but when used recklessly, jet skis can cause harm to swimmers and to sea life, such as turtles, according to DPNR Officer Alvin Powell Jr., who conducted the seminar.
After viewing an educational video on the proper use of jet skis, attendees watched footage taken by private citizens over a period of weeks showing jet skiers speeding in and out of Water Bay, adjacent to the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort. Dr. Malcolm MacDonald, whose home and chiropractic practice sits at the mouth of Water Bay, complained that because of the high speeds and modified mufflers, the noise is excessive. "Sometimes I can’t even hear my patients."
Enforcement officers explained that jet skiers must operate in “as straight line as practicable" and reduce speeds to idle speed when operating within 10 feet of a moored vessel and while entering and exiting restricted areas, such as bays. Altering the motor of a jet ski, which causes it to operate at an increased noise level, is prohibited. According to Virgin Islands law, jet skis may not be operated in waters "less than 500 feet from the shoreline… or an area less than 500 feet from any designated non motorized recreational watersports activity area such as swimming, snorkeling, diving…"
Enforcement officers also warned that failure to follow the rules and regulations would result in penalties. "We are taking a hard nosed approach," said Deputy Chief Robert Danet. Penalties may involve confiscation of the vessel, plus boat storage fees for as long as it takes for the case to go to trial.
For more information on the rules and regulation, contact the Division of Environmental Enforcement at 774-3320 ext. 5112.

Department of Planning and Natural Resources officials told more than two dozen people Friday evening that they are ready to crack down on jet skiers who don't follow the rules.
The group was gathered in the DPRN conference room to participate in an educational seminar on the operation of personal watercraft (PWC), commonly known as jet skis. Attending the seminar were rental operators, jet ski owners and many concerned citizens, among them a contingent identified as the Water Bay Jet Ski Action Group.
"Jet skis are becoming problematic in this area," said Lucia Roberts-Francis, DPNR director of environmental enforcement. "We want to bring you to a certain level of awareness so that safety is first and foremost before we start losing lives."
By design, PWCs are inherently more dangerous than other motor boats because the operator is on the outside instead of inside. Not only are operators at risk, but when used recklessly, jet skis can cause harm to swimmers and to sea life, such as turtles, according to DPNR Officer Alvin Powell Jr., who conducted the seminar.
After viewing an educational video on the proper use of jet skis, attendees watched footage taken by private citizens over a period of weeks showing jet skiers speeding in and out of Water Bay, adjacent to the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort.
Dr. Malcolm MacDonald, whose home and chiropractic practice sit at the mouth of Water Bay, complained that because of the high speeds and modified mufflers, the noise is excessive. "Sometimes I can’t even hear my patients," he said.
Enforcement officers explained that jet skiers must operate in “as straight line as practicable" and reduce speeds to idle speed when operating within 10 feet of a moored vessel and while entering and exiting restricted areas, such as bays. Altering the motor of a jet ski, which causes it to operate at an increased noise level, is prohibited. According to Virgin Islands law, jet skis may not be operated in waters "less than 500 feet from the shoreline . . . or an area less than 500 feet from any designated non-motorized recreational watersports activity area such as swimming, snorkeling, diving . . ."
Enforcement officers also warned that failure to follow the rules and regulations would result in penalties. "We are taking a hard-nosed approach," said Deputy Chief Robert Danet. Penalties may involve confiscation of the vessel plus boat storage fees for as long as it takes for the case to go to trial.
For more information on the rules and regulation, contact the Division of Environmental Enforcement at 774-3320, ext. 5112.

The St. Thomas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, March 5 at the Curriculum Center for their monthly meeting.
All members are urged to attend.

An exhausted home team could not hold up to the pressure in the nightcap at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center. The University of Puerto Rico, Utuado Eagles edged out the UVI Buccaneers, 74-67 Saturday evening in Organizacion Deportiva Interuniversitaria conference action.
The Bucs were held scoreless for the first three minutes of the contest. While this was happening the Eagles were breaking the Bucs press which allowed them easy baskets. This caused Bucs head coach Cyril Baptiste to call a time out. During the time out he changed the Bucs defense from a zone to a man on man. This move ignited the Bucs on a 6-0 run to cut down the Eagles' 11-point lead to 5 points.
The Bucs were held to under 30 percent in field goals in the first quarter. The Bucs struggled without one starter Kevin Abbott and the sixth man off the bench Dashell Freeman who were both suspended for a fight in the Bucs previous game.
In the second quarter, the Bucs not only continued to play a man to man defense, but they also began playing a more inside offensive game. The Bucs only attempted one 3-point shot in this quarter. The Eagles handled the Bucs defense well for the first five minutes of the quarter, but then it began to wear them down. The Eagles committed ten personal fouls that sent the Bucs to the free throw line 14 times converting seven of them. Meanwhile, the Eagles made of nine of 10 free throws off of five Bucs' fouls.
The halftime score was 36-34 in favor of the Eagles. Neither team had any bench points as only the starters scored.
In the third quarter, the Eagles press was effective for only the first two minutes. The Bucs broke down the Eagles press and managed to take their first lead, 43-41, with 6:19 remaining in the quarter. At this point both teams traded baskets and the lead.
The Eagles intensified the press to go on a 8-0 run that gave them a 55-47 lead with two minutes remaining. The Bucs' John St. Luce fouled out with 3:00 remaining in the game. The Bucs rallied back with a 6-0 run in the next 1:30 to cut into the lead.
The game got even more exciting in the fourth quarter. Both teams continued to trade baskets and the lead. The game was tied once again at 65. This time the Eagles soared to a seven-point lead to take control of the game.
The Bucs offense was led by St. Luce who had double-double with 20 points and 20 rebounds. His teammate Kwesi Howard also had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. For the Eagles Erick Delgado had 29 points while teammate Abimael Martes added 16 points. Harry Torres had a double-double for the Eagles with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Bucs conference record drops to 3-1 and their overall record to 6-4. The Eagles improve to 5-1 in the conference.

It was all great action in the Organizacion Deportiva Interuniversitaria conference female basketball games played at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center. The Lady Bucs took advantage of the University of Puerto Rico, Carolina Saturday afternoon as they swept a double header from them, 48-28 and 52-43 respectively.
In the first game the Lady Bucs were ignited by Nailah Felix who got off to a fast start. "She hit her first shots which built up her confidence" said Angel Morales the Lady Bucs head coach. Felix sizzled for 20 points to lead the Lady Bucs offensive attack.
Only four players on the Lady Bucs team scored. The Lady Bucs only had six players dressed because three were not eligible due to academic reasons.
The second game was more of the same. UPR, Carolina took a 2-point lead at the end of the first quarter. However, the Lady Bucs were not to be denied as they erupted in the second quarter to take 5-point half time lead of 26-21.
In the third quarter the Lady Bucs pressed UPR, Carolina into submission in only allowing them five points in the quarter. With this the Lady Bucs took a 15-point lead into the final quarter. At this point the Lady Bucs stopped pressing UPR, Carolina as they cruised to victory.
Natasha Pickering had a double-double for the Lady Bucs with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Felix added 17 points to aid her team. UPR, Carolina was lead offensively by Carolyn Jimenez and Cluadia Miranda who each had 12 points.
The Lady Bucs improved their overall record to 2-3 and their conference record to 2-1.

Glitter and glitterati were out in force earlier this month when many friends of Venice — including at least two Virgin Islanders — came together for a masked ball.
Save Venice Inc. and the Young Friends of Save Venice held their annual fund-raiser — Un Ballo in Maschera – A Futuristic Carnival — on Feb. 9 in New York City.
Lucien Moolenaar and Tynnetta McIntosh attended the soiree at the invitation of friend and co-chairman of Young Friends of Save Venice, John Leopoldo Fiorilla. The event was held at swank NYC restaurant Cipriani, and much of New York society turned out for an evening of mystery, elegance and fun.
From the moment guests arrived, they were greeted by jugglers, magicians and stilt performers (we call them mocko jumbies). For the first half hour guests mingled at a Taittinger champagne reception, followed by dinner, dancing and the awarding of prizes.
Lucien, who flew in for the event from London, and Tynnetta, who joined him from St. Thomas, did their best to "do as the Venetian do" and dressed in formal wear and beautiful masks. Tynnetta's mask was made of real orchids, roses and feathers, and stopped many attendees who wanted to smell the roses in their tracks.
The event allowed two friends to spend a great evening with each other as well as with mutual friends and many new acquaintances.

A meeting for vendors and craft persons who specialize in locally produced merchandise and are interested in participating in the Transfer Day Trade Fair will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 at the Office of the Administrator, at the old Department of Law complex facing Government Hill and Hotel 1829.
Transfer Day 2001 is Saturday, March 31 and local planned activities include a ceremony on the grounds of the Legislature's Capitol Building, followed by music and performances in Emancipation Garden. A Danish-U.S. trade fair will be organized on Main Street, which will be closed to vehicles that day.
The theme for Transfer Day is "Bridging the Gap Between Generations." Public and private school bands and many youth groups will perform.
For more information call 774-0001, ext. 4342.