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.

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.