US Airways to Launch New Charlotte-St. Thomas Service
US Airways will add St. Thomas to its growing Charlotte, N.C.-Caribbean non-stop route network on November 12, 2000. From Charlotte, the flight will depart daily at 11:20 a.m., and will arrive in St. Thomas at 4:04 p.m. The return flight will include a stop in San Juan, PR. US Airways also provides non-stop service from Philadelphia to St. Thomas, continuing to St. Croix. For more information about fares and flights, call US Airways at (800) 428-4322, or visit the US Airways' Web site at www.usairways.com.
Divi Carina Bay Casino Adds New Routes and Times to Free Shuttle Service
St. Croix's Divi Carina Bay Casino, the territory's first casino, recently added two new routes to its popular shuttle service. The first new route starts at Hibiscus Beach Hotel in La Grande Princess and continues to Cormorant Beach Club, Mill Harbour, Colony Cove, Sugar Beach, Club St. Croix and the Christiansted Wharf before arriving at the casino. The second new route begins at the Christiansted Wharf and stops for passengers at Cheeseburgers in Paradise, Tamarind Reef Hotel and Chenay Bay Beach Resort before arriving at the casino. Both shuttles are available Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. The shuttles return at 11 p.m., midnight and 1 a.m. Visitors staying on the north and west ends of St. Croix can also take advantage of the added Frederiksted and Christiansted shuttles now operating on Fridays, in addition to the current Monday and Wednesday schedule from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The casino is open for gaming Sunday through Thursday from noon to 4 a.m. and Friday, Saturday and holidays from noon to 6 a.m. More details are available by calling (340) 773-9700 or visiting the Web site at www.carinabay.com.
Renowned Glass Artists Conduct Free Demonstrations at Maho Bay Camps
Now through August 15, four renowned glass artists from Urban Glass, the first and largest not-for-profit international center for the creation of new art made from glass, will conduct demonstrations at the world-renowned ecotourism resort Maho Bay Camps on St. John. The craft pieces are made from recycled glass through glass blowing, molding and casting methods. Demonstrations are held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, call (800) 392-9004 or (340) 776-6240.
Experience "Kosmic Bowling" at New St. Thomas Bowling Alley
Children and adults of all ages are sure to enjoy the new state-of-the-art bowling alley and youth center that recently opened on St. Thomas. The six-lane bowling alley boasts computerized screens, surround-sound music, a full concession area, a family arcade, billiard rooms, professional bowling clinics, an on-site pro shop and more. Visitors can also experience the fun of "Kosmic Bowling," bowling in the dark with black lighting and glow-in-the-dark pins. The facility is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more details, call the V.I. Christian Ministries Youth Center at (340) 714-3071.
-more-
Jazz and Food Festival Coming to St. Thomas
The Mobile Food Vendors Association will hold a jazz and food festival from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, in Emancipation Garden on St. Thomas. Visitors can sample local West Indian cuisine and American fare while listening to the sounds of the RC and Company jazz band. The festival involves local vendors promoting local business, culture and entertainment. More details are available by calling (340) 776-0778.
New Bed & Breakfast Opens on St. Thomas
The Crystal Palace, a new bed & breakfast, recently opened on St. Thomas. Located in the heart of St. Thomas' historic district, the quaint small inn boasts eclectic mahogany and fruit wood furniture, traditional West Indian architectural details including tray ceilings, wrought iron gates, hardwood floors, chandeliers and Morocco tiles. Selected paintings from a collection of period and contemporary island art complete the decor. A massive interior staircase leads down to four large guestrooms. Three rooms with twin beds share a bath and the fourth has a double bed and an enormous tiled bath. The communal area, located between guestrooms, includes a small refrigerator and microwave for preparing light snacks. Effective April 15 through December 15, 2000, nightly rates range from $55 to $80 per person. Effective December 16, 2000, through April 14, 2001, nightly rates range from $75 to $100 per person. A continental breakfast is provided daily. Guests who book six nights will receive the seventh night free. For reservations or more information about The Crystal Palace, call (340) 777-2277, or email inquiries to CrystalPalace@St-Thomas.com.
Wedding Consulting Company Offers Expertise with Caribbean Flair
Weddings the Island Way provides a variety of traditional wedding services with a distinctive island flair. This wedding consulting company offers seven unique wedding packages, all of which include the following amenities: a certified copy of the marriage license sent to the couple; a minister for the ceremony; a wedding coordinator; transportation to and from the wedding site; and a frameable keepsake marriage certificate as a special nuptial memento. The following traditional wedding services are available in variations for several different packages: a tropical bouquet and boutonniere; limousine service; chilled champagne; elegant champagne flutes; professional photography; and videography. Several unique services include: choice of wedding site (on a beach, hillside or at a private villa); traditional West Indian black cake for a wedding cake; live steel pan music; and a helicopter ride to an uninhabited island. Rates range from $375 to $2,800 for standard wedding packages. Custom wedding packages are also available. For more information, call (800) 582-4784 or (340) 777-6505. Also, visit the Web site at www.weddingstheislandway.com.
Renaissance Grand Beach Resort Introduces "All-Inclusive Value Vacations"
The Renaissance Grand Beach Resort, located on St. Thomas, is now offering the "All-Inclusive Value Vacations" package. The "All-Inclusive Value Vacations" package nightly rates are $345 per room from June 1 to December 20, 2000. The package includes: room service (not typically a part of the all-inclusive offerings); deluxe accommodations; all food & beverages at select restaurants, including unlimited house-brand cocktails and wine and beer by the glass; complimentary use of the tennis courts and health club; complimentary non-motorized watersports; and any applicable room taxes and gratuities, all while earning valuable Marriott Rewards points. In addition, up to two children under age 12 stay and eat free when sharing a room with a parent. A minimum five-night stay is required and rates are subject to availability. More information and reservations are available by calling (800) 241-3333 or (340) 775-1510.

US Airways to Launch New Charlotte-St. Thomas Service
US Airways will add St. Thomas to its growing Charlotte, N.C.-Caribbean non-stop route network on November 12, 2000. From Charlotte, the flight will depart daily at 11:20 a.m., and will arrive in St. Thomas at 4:04 p.m. The return flight will include a stop in San Juan, PR. US Airways also provides non-stop service from Philadelphia to St. Thomas, continuing to St. Croix. For more information about fares and flights, call US Airways at (800) 428-4322, or visit the US Airways' Web site at www.usairways.com.
Divi Carina Bay Casino Adds New Routes and Times to Free Shuttle Service
St. Croix's Divi Carina Bay Casino, the territory's first casino, recently added two new routes to its popular shuttle service. The first new route starts at Hibiscus Beach Hotel in La Grande Princess and continues to Cormorant Beach Club, Mill Harbour, Colony Cove, Sugar Beach, Club St. Croix and the Christiansted Wharf before arriving at the casino. The second new route begins at the Christiansted Wharf and stops for passengers at Cheeseburgers in Paradise, Tamarind Reef Hotel and Chenay Bay Beach Resort before arriving at the casino. Both shuttles are available Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. The shuttles return at 11 p.m., midnight and 1 a.m. Visitors staying on the north and west ends of St. Croix can also take advantage of the added Frederiksted and Christiansted shuttles now operating on Fridays, in addition to the current Monday and Wednesday schedule from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The casino is open for gaming Sunday through Thursday from noon to 4 a.m. and Friday, Saturday and holidays from noon to 6 a.m. More details are available by calling (340) 773-9700 or visiting the Web site at www.carinabay.com.
Renowned Glass Artists Conduct Free Demonstrations at Maho Bay Camps
Now through August 15, four renowned glass artists from Urban Glass, the first and largest not-for-profit international center for the creation of new art made from glass, will conduct demonstrations at the world-renowned ecotourism resort Maho Bay Camps on St. John. The craft pieces are made from recycled glass through glass blowing, molding and casting methods. Demonstrations are held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, call (800) 392-9004 or (340) 776-6240.
Experience "Kosmic Bowling" at New St. Thomas Bowling Alley
Children and adults of all ages are sure to enjoy the new state-of-the-art bowling alley and youth center that recently opened on St. Thomas. The six-lane bowling alley boasts computerized screens, surround-sound music, a full concession area, a family arcade, billiard rooms, professional bowling clinics, an on-site pro shop and more. Visitors can also experience the fun of "Kosmic Bowling," bowling in the dark with black lighting and glow-in-the-dark pins. The facility is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more details, call the V.I. Christian Ministries Youth Center at (340) 714-3071.
-more-
Jazz and Food Festival Coming to St. Thomas
The Mobile Food Vendors Association will hold a jazz and food festival from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, in Emancipation Garden on St. Thomas. Visitors can sample local West Indian cuisine and American fare while listening to the sounds of the RC and Company jazz band. The festival involves local vendors promoting local business, culture and entertainment. More details are available by calling (340) 776-0778.
New Bed & Breakfast Opens on St. Thomas
The Crystal Palace, a new bed & breakfast, recently opened on St. Thomas. Located in the heart of St. Thomas' historic district, the quaint small inn boasts eclectic mahogany and fruit wood furniture, traditional West Indian architectural details including tray ceilings, wrought iron gates, hardwood floors, chandeliers and Morocco tiles. Selected paintings from a collection of period and contemporary island art complete the decor. A massive interior staircase leads down to four large guestrooms. Three rooms with twin beds share a bath and the fourth has a double bed and an enormous tiled bath. The communal area, located between guestrooms, includes a small refrigerator and microwave for preparing light snacks. Effective April 15 through December 15, 2000, nightly rates range from $55 to $80 per person. Effective December 16, 2000, through April 14, 2001, nightly rates range from $75 to $100 per person. A continental breakfast is provided daily. Guests who book six nights will receive the seventh night free. For reservations or more information about The Crystal Palace, call (340) 777-2277, or email inquiries to CrystalPalace@St-Thomas.com.
Wedding Consulting Company Offers Expertise with Caribbean Flair
Weddings the Island Way provides a variety of traditional wedding services with a distinctive island flair. This wedding consulting company offers seven unique wedding packages, all of which include the following amenities: a certified copy of the marriage license sent to the couple; a minister for the ceremony; a wedding coordinator; transportation to and from the wedding site; and a frameable keepsake marriage certificate as a special nuptial memento. The following traditional wedding services are available in variations for several different packages: a tropical bouquet and boutonniere; limousine service; chilled champagne; elegant champagne flutes; professional photography; and videography. Several unique services include: choice of wedding site (on a beach, hillside or at a private villa); traditional West Indian black cake for a wedding cake; live steel pan music; and a helicopter ride to an uninhabited island. Rates range from $375 to $2,800 for standard wedding packages. Custom wedding packages are also available. For more information, call (800) 582-4784 or (340) 777-6505. Also, visit the Web site at www.weddingstheislandway.com.
Renaissance Grand Beach Resort Introduces "All-Inclusive Value Vacations"
The Renaissance Grand Beach Resort, located on St. Thomas, is now offering the "All-Inclusive Value Vacations" package. The "All-Inclusive Value Vacations" package nightly rates are $345 per room from June 1 to December 20, 2000. The package includes: room service (not typically a part of the all-inclusive offerings); deluxe accommodations; all food & beverages at select restaurants, including unlimited house-brand cocktails and wine and beer by the glass; complimentary use of the tennis courts and health club; complimentary non-motorized watersports; and any applicable room taxes and gratuities, all while earning valuable Marriott Rewards points. In addition, up to two children under age 12 stay and eat free when sharing a room with a parent. A minimum five-night stay is required and rates are subject to availability. More information and reservations are available by calling (800) 241-3333 or (340) 775-1510.

The Senate Finance Committee approved the submission by government agencies of five federal grant applications Thursday, including one that will go toward a $3.8 million program to improve the Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic in Frederiksted.
In the last 20 years, the clinic has provided services to approximately 25,000 medically underserved persons, the committee was told. Funding for the grant will be 20 percent through federal funds, 19 percent through program income and the remaining 61 percent through local funds. Post Auditor Campbell Malone confirmed that the Office of Management and Budget has the needed local funding earmarked in the fiscal year 2001 budget.
The clinic grant application and three of the four others were approved unanimously.
The fifth, for $71,900 for the Tourism Department to complete a comprehensive development strategy for the territory, was approved 5-1. Sen. Alicia "Chuck" Hansen cast the opposing vote after learning the funds were already being spent, a departure from normal procedure. The grant is for $42,000 in federal funding with a local match of $29,900.
The other three grants, all to be 100 percent federally funded, are for the Planning and Natural Resources Department:
– $12,598 for assistance to collect, manage and disseminate bio-statistical data from commercial fishing;
– $406,854 to provide technical assistance to small public water systems under the Safe Water Drinking Act; and
– $288,853 from the National Park Service for the identification, evaluation and protection of historic properties.
Committee members present and voting were Sens. Lorraine Berry, Roosevelt David, Violet Anne Golden, Hansen and David Jones. Sen. Gregory Bennerson was absent.

The Senate Finance Committee approved the submission by government agencies of five federal grant applications Thursday, including one that will go toward a $3.8 million program to improve the Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic in Frederiksted.
In the last 20 years, the clinic has provided services to approximately 25,000 medically underserved persons, the committee was told. Funding for the grant will be 20 percent through federal funds, 19 percent through program income and the remaining 61 percent through local funds. Post Auditor Campbell Malone confirmed that the Office of Management and Budget has the needed local funding earmarked in the fiscal year 2001 budget.
The clinic grant application and three of the four others were approved unanimously.
The fifth, for $71,900 for the Tourism Department to complete a comprehensive development strategy for the territory, was approved 5-1. Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen cast the opposing vote after learning the funds were already being spent, a departure from normal procedure. The grant is for $42,000 in federal funding with a local match of $29,900.
The other three grants, all to be 100 percent federally funded, are for the Planning and Natural Resources Department:
– $12,598 for assistance to collect, manage and disseminate bio-statistical data from commercial fishing.
– $406,854 for technical assistance to small public water systems under the Safe Water Drinking Act.
– $288,853 from the National Park Service to identify, evaluate and protect historic properties.
Committee members present and voting were Sens. Lorraine Berry, Roosevelt David, Violet Anne Golden, Hansen and David Jones. Sen. Gregory Bennerson was absent.

Sen. Lorraine Berry's worst fears were confirmed Thursday as the Senate Finance Committee held its long-awaited Internal Revenue Bureau hearing with Louis Willis, new acting bureau director, and several members of his staff.
A computer system in "chaos," mismanagement, personnel problems, funding problems and lack of expertise in handling a new computer system were among problems addressed.
However, Willis said that with an $11 million appropriation in fiscal year 2001 and reorganization of the bureau he could have it running efficiently, collecting taxes and bringing in revenue – or "send me home." In spite of all the problems, he said, IRB employees are doing a "tremendous job."
Willis, who has been in his new post for barely two weeks, didn't offer a time frame for the reorganization.
Scheduled for 2 p.m., the Finance Committee meeting actually got started at 3:30 after a lunch break from a morning session that ran late, concluding after 2. The hearing had initially been scheduled for July 6, when then-IRB director Claudette Farrington and 20 of her supervisors had been subpoenaed to appear. But on July 5, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull abruptly transferred Farrington to the Office of Management and Budget and named Willis acting director.
At a closed-door meeting the following day with the governor, Willis and other Finance Committee members, Berry gave Willis a substantial list of questions about IRB operations to answer in writing by July 14. Willis did so. However, saying she still wasn't satisfied with the answers, Berry rescheduled the July 6 hearing. Also invited to attend Thursday's session were OMB director Ira Mills and Roy McFarlane, the governor's special assistant for information technology. Mills advised Berry he was unable to attend.
Finance Committee members grilled Willis on all aspects of IRB operations. He began with a chart outlining tax collecting functions and came up with some figures that appeared to shock his listeners, supporting Berry's fears about disarray within the agency. He criticized the federally mandated earned-income tax credit program, which gives larger refunds to low-income taxpayers, as a big loser for the government. "It's embarrassing," he said as he pointed out $9.3 million paid in interest on the refunds sent out late for the years 1992-1998.
However, the former chief of collections pointed with pride to the gross receipts tax collections from 1989 through 1999, collections which averaged 97 percent.
At the same time, Willis accepted the blame for the bureau's problems himself, refusing to point a finger at previous directors. Sen. Adelbert Bryan on several occasions stated that Farrington and her predecessor, Edward Thomas, now CEO of the West Indian Co. Ltd., should be at the hearing. Berry wondered aloud why the governor had dismissed Farrington at the 11th hour. She declared more than once during the meeting that the committee would "get to the bottom of" questions concerning the agency's lack of management and productivity.
Berry chided the IRB staff members, noting that "there are people out there marching every day." She said, "You are the ones that generate the income to pay people – why can't it be done?"
McFarlane, in a prepared statement, said the IRB began in 1999 to install a computer application system used throughout the territories. He said it was an ongoing process which involved a large degree of training and restructuring. Rosalino Scipio, processing and accounts chief, testified that employees were doing tasks manually because of not having the expertise to use the new system.
The bureau is chronically understaffed, Willis said, noting that his revenue agents typically handle 250 to 300 cases each, compared to the caseload of about 75 for mainland Internal Revenue Service agents.
In response to Willis's repeated mention of being short staffed, Berry reminded him that IRB's fiscal year 2000 appropriation was $6 million, exactly what the administration had requested. She said the bureau was the only agency to get its full requested appropriation, and that the funding included staffing for vacant positions. She expressed concern that those positions have yet to be filled. And since last year, 21 staff members have left the agency.
Willis produced a letter excusing from Thursday's meeting two of his employees who had traveled to Guam and Saipan for a tax conference. The government travel orders attached to the letter showed $175 per day per diem and a total travel cost of $15,297. Questioned by senators about the travel cost, Willis said the "federal government picks up the total bill." It is part of ongoing training, he said, and when employees travel for training or tax conferences, they share the expertise they bring back.
Asked by Sen. Roosevelt David what three things were most important to the IRB's functioning, Willis replied without missing a beat, "Training, morale and a fully staffed bureau." He added, "I spread morale." David commented that "people on the street don't feel you're the right man for the job, but you came prepared, with documentation. You seem to have competent people around you."
Sen. Violet Anne Golden said the governor's Five-Year Operating and Strategic Financial Plan for economic recovery states that the IRB doesn't know with any certainty where its accounts stand. Willis replied he hadn't read the plan. Golden replied, "Read it." Neither she nor Berry appeared to share Willis's optimism about his ability to get the job done.
At one point in the lengthy hearing, Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole asked all of his staff members who believed Willis could do the job to stand up, and all 10 in the Senate chambers did so. Earlier the question was apparently misunderstood, when only two stood. Willis, who is well known as "Lolo" Willis, co-host with Buddy Kennings of the "One on One" nightly sports program on WVWI radio, described himself throughout the hearing as a "team player."
Willis said the government currently is owed nearly $31.4 million in back taxes, and part of the reorganization plan is to step up and fully staff the collections department.
Adjourning the meeting at about 8 p.m., Berry cautioned Willis, "I hear my colleagues saying you're doing a good job. This isn't a confirmation hearing; maybe later."
She said she sees IRB's overall problem as one not so much of funding but of "personalities, management styles and lack of communication." She added, "We want to work with you. If you will show us where your weaknesses are, we will help you. You can't cover them up."
The hearing was to resume at 10 a.m. Friday in St. Thomas, instead of on St. Croix, where it had previously been scheduled. Senators present Thursday were Berry, Bryan, Cole, David, Golden, David Jones and Almando "Rocky" Liburd.

Sen. Lorraine Berry's worst fears were confirmed Thursday as the Senate Finance Committee held its long-awaited Internal Revenue Bureau hearing with Louis Willis, new acting bureau director, and several members of his staff.
A computer system in "chaos," mismanagement, personnel problems, funding problems and lack of expertise in handling a new computer system were among problems addressed.
However, Willis said that with an $11 million appropriation in fiscal year 2001 and reorganization of the bureau, he could have it running efficiently, collecting taxes and bringing in revenue – or "send me home." In spite of all the problems, he said, IRB employees are doing a "tremendous job."
Willis, who has been in his new post for barely two weeks, didn't offer a time frame for the reorganization.
Scheduled for 2 p.m., the Finance Committee meeting actually got started at 3:30 after a lunch break from a morning session that ran late, concluding after 2. The hearing had initially been scheduled for July 6, when then-IRB director Claudette Farrington and 20 of her supervisors had been subpoenaed to appear. But on July 5, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull abruptly transferred Farrington to the Office of Management and Budget and named Willis acting director.
At a closed-door meeting the following day with the governor, Willis and other Finance Committee members, Berry gave Willis a substantial list of questions about IRB operations to answer in writing by July 14. Willis did so. However, saying she still wasn't satisfied with the answers, Berry rescheduled the July 6 hearing. Also invited to attend Thursday's session were OMB director Ira Mills and Roy McFarlane, the governor's special assistant for information technology. Mills advised Berry he was unable to attend.
Finance Committee members grilled Willis on all aspects of IRB operations. He began with a chart outlining tax collecting functions and came up with some figures that appeared to shock his listeners, supporting Berry's fears about disarray within the agency. He criticized the federally mandated earned-income tax credit program, which gives larger refunds to low-income taxpayers, as a big loser for the government. "It's embarrassing," he said as he pointed out $9.3 million paid in interest on the refunds sent out late for the years 1992-1998.
However, the former chief of collections pointed with pride to the gross receipts tax collections from 1989 through 1999 which averaged 97 percent.
At the same time, Willis accepted the blame for the bureau's problems himself, refusing to point a finger at previous directors. Sen. Adelbert Bryan on several occasions stated that Farrington and her predecessor, Edward Thomas, now CEO of the West Indian Co. Ltd., should be at the hearing. Berry wondered aloud why the governor had dismissed Farrington at the 11th hour. She declared more than once during the meeting that the committee would "get to the bottom of" questions concerning the agency's lack of management and productivity.
Berry chided the IRB staff members, noting that "there are people out there marching every day." She said, "You are the ones that generate the income to pay people – why can't it be done?"
McFarlane, in a prepared statement, said the IRB began in 1999 to install a computer application system used throughout the territories. He said it was an ongoing process that involved a large degree of training and restructuring. Rosalino Scipio, processing and accounts chief, testified that employees were doing tasks manually because of not having the expertise to use the new system.
The bureau is chronically understaffed, Willis said, noting that his revenue agents typically handle 250 to 300 cases each, compared to the caseload of about 75 for mainland Internal Revenue Service agents.
In response to Willis's repeated mention of being short-staffed, Berry reminded him that IRB's fiscal year 2000 appropriation was $6 million, exactly what the administration had requested. She said that the bureau was the only agency to get its full requested appropriation, and that the funding included staffing for vacant positions. She expressed concern that those positions have yet to be filled. And since last year, 21 staff members have left the agency.
Willis produced a letter excusing from Thursday's meeting two of his employees who had traveled to Guam and Saipan for a tax conference. The government travel orders attached to the letter showed $175 per day per diem and a total travel cost of $15,297. Questioned by senators about the travel cost, Willis said the "federal government picks up the total bill." It is part of ongoing training, he said, and when employees travel for training or tax conferences, they share the expertise they bring back.
Asked by Sen. Roosevelt David what three things were most important to the IRB's functioning, Willis replied without missing a beat, "Training, morale and a fully staffed bureau." He added, "I spread morale." David commented that "people on the street don't feel you're the right man for the job, but you came prepared, with documentation. You seem to have competent people around you."
Sen. Violet Anne Golden said the governor's Five-Year Operating and Strategic Financial Plan for economic recovery states that the IRB doesn't know with any certainty where its accounts stand. Willis said he hadn't read the plan. Golden replied, "Read it." Neither she nor Berry appeared to share Willis's optimism about his ability to get the job done.
At one point in the lengthy hearing, Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole asked all of his staff members who believed Willis could do the job to stand up, and all 10 in the Senate chambers did so. Earlier the question was apparently misunderstood, when only two stood. Willis, who is well known as "Lolo" Willis, co-host with Buddy Kennings of the "One on One" nightly sports program on WVWI radio, described himself throughout the hearing as a "team player."
Willis said the government currently is owed nearly $31.4 million in back taxes, and part of the reorganization plan is to step up and fully staff the collections department.
Adjourning the meeting at about 8 p.m., Berry cautioned Willis, "I hear my colleagues saying you're doing a good job. This isn't a confirmation hearing; maybe later."
She said she sees IRB's overall problem as one not so much of funding but of "personalities, management styles and lack of communication." She added, "We want to work with you. If you will show us where your weaknesses are, we will help you. You can't cover them up."
The hearing was to resume at 10 a.m. Friday in St. Thomas, instead of on St. Croix, where it had previously been scheduled. Senators present Thursday were Berry, Bryan, Cole, David, Golden, David Jones and Almando "Rocky" Liburd.

About 30 St. Croix fisherman made their feelings clear to the Caribbean Fishery Management Council Thursday night: A total closure of federal waters to conch fishing is not acceptable.
Officials from the CFMC, one of eight established by federal law to manage fisheries within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, visited St. Thomas on Tuesday, St. John on Wednesday and the Big Island Thursday to take comments and suggestions from territorial fisherman on 12 proposals aimed at halting the decline of conch in federal waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The CFMC’s preferred alternative to protect deep water spawning stocks of the queen conch would be to close the EEZ completely. In the Virgin Islands, the EEZ extends three miles to 200 miles from the shores of the islands. The area from shore to the three mile limit belongs to the territory.
"The reason why the scientists . . . recommended to close the EEZ is because the fishery is going down," said Miguel Rolos, director of the Puerto Rico-based CFMC. "We believe this is a topic that is important for the area."
The turnout of fisherman on St. Croix, mostly members of the St. Croix Commercial Fishermen’s Association, was by far the largest of the CFMC’s three hearings. After airing their views on the closure, the Crucian contingent’s main points were prohibiting scuba gear to collect conch would basically end conch fishing in the deeper federal waters and that fishermen should be allowed to dump empty conch shells at sea instead of hauling them to shore.
Both local and federal law mandates that fishermen bring conch to shore in the shell before cleaning the animal. The idea is that enforcement officials can check to make sure the conch being taken are of legal size and that dumping empty shells on conch beds scares juvenile conch to deeper water.
Because most St. Croix fishermen have to travel up to 10 miles to reach conch beds, carrying the heavy shells back to shore in their small vessels, already laden with gear and divers, is a dangerous proposition, especially in high seas.
Their suggestion to the CFMC is to establish set shell-dumping areas a mile or so from the conch beds in order to reduce wear-and-tear on their boats and make for a safer trip back to shore. Robert McAuliffe, president of the Fisherman’s United Service Cooperative of St. Croix, said that a boat’s legal limit of 150 conch can weigh between 300 and 400 pounds. In rough seas, he said that can shorten the usable life of a boat by 75 percent.
"That’s one of the concerns, wear and tear on the boats. It’s a lot easier if we get a dumping ground that is no more than two miles of travel," said fisherman Roberto Rivera. "Why have a new boat, take a loan for seven years and it’s only going to last two years?"
Another issue that rankles fisherman is that during the closed season on conch, between July 1 and Sept. 30, stores and restaurants are selling conch under the premise that it is imported.
"In the past years, certain fisherman have been catching them and selling them on the black market," said Gerson Martinez, vice president of the St. Croix Commercial Fishermen’s Association. "The three-month closure should prohibit stores and restaurants from selling them."
That is an enforcement and legislative issue that has to be settled locally, Rolon said, adding that the CFMC cannot prohibit imports to U.S. shores.
Meanwhile, several fishermen said the proposals overlook one crucial thing: There are plenty of conch in the deep water surrounding St. Croix.
"I see them spawning up to 115 feet deep," Martinez said. "I’ve seen babies in 25 to 30 feet in shallow water in the grasses."
McAuliffe questioned the CFMC’s findings that say conch are being over fished when St. Croix has "such an outstanding fishery . . . year after year?"
Rolon said CFMC scientists are now crunching data collected from conch landings in 1999 and that would give a better idea of the situation on St. Croix.
In the meantime, the CFMC will meet on St. Thomas next month to discuss the proposals and by November decide on the next step it will take.
"From what we've heard today, there is a lot of work for the management council," he said.

Attorney General Iver Stridiron has cleared police officer Dennis Vanterpool of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of Territorial Court Marshal Randy Stephens on Feb. 16, 1998.
The ruling should pave the way for Vanterpool to receive psychological counseling before being reinstated to his position with the VIPD. He had been on administrative leave pending the outcome of the Justice Department review of the homicide case.
Stephens was fatally shot by Vanterpool, who was off duty at the time, in what Stridiron described at a news conference Thursday as "friendly fire." The attorney general said his decision not to prosecute was based on a review of witness statements, a videotaped statement by Vanterpool, medical and autopsy reports on Stephens, FBI records on the weapons involved, his own visits to the scene of the incident and applicable V.I. law.
His investigation determined that Vanterpool "conducted himself in a prudent manner, given the emergency situation," Stridiron wrote in his 13-page decision. The policeman acted in a manner "consistent with his duty to protect the lives of the people of the Virgin Islands and his own life. In doing so, he mistook Marshal Stephens [for] a person committing a serious felony, the apparent shooting at another person."
Stephens and at least three other Territorial Court marshals were in the Contant area near the former Hustler Body Shop pursuing a fugitive, Marvin Smith, Stridiron's report states. Witnesses "appear to confirm that Stephens ran into the yard after Smith while discharging his weapon," the report says. As Smith fled south, the marshals pursued, at times firing their weapons at him.
Stridiron's report states that Vanterpool, who happened to be nearby, upon hearing the gunfire, escorted at least one person into a nearby grocery, told the owner to call 911, then told people in the immediate area to remain inside. Several witnesses said he then exited the store with his gun in one hand and his police badge in the other and yelled to the shooting parties, "Halt, Police!"
Vanterpool told investigators he saw a "rasta" male — actually Stephens in disguise — shoot into the yard of an unoccupied building and then attempt, gun in hand, to scale a wall and fence. Stridiron's report said it is possible Stephens heard Vanterpool's order to stop but may have thought the policeman was another marshal yelling at Smith. As Stephens continued to shoot at Smith, Vanterpool fired, hitting Stephens.
Stephens was taken to the Roy L. Schneider Hospital, where he died in surgery a few hours later.
The attorney general said he concluded that "Vanterpool acted as one would expect a police officer to act in the face of what he reasonably believed was an obvious life-threatening situation, or at least a situation in which a serious felony was occurring."
Vanterpool was quoted by the V.I. Daily News as saying Stridiron's decision was "a relief to me and my family." Expressing sympathy to Stephens' family, he added the hope that "nothing like this ever happens again."

It is unlikely the full Third Circuit Court of Appeals will re-hear the business community's challenge of the territory's wrongful discharge law, attorney Adriane J. Dudley said Thursday afternoon in an address to St. Thomas Rotarians.
In her remarks before a luncheon meeting of Rotary II at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort, Dudley said that the July 7 ruling by a three-judge appellate court panel, while not the decision the business community wanted, nonetheless marked a significant moment in the history of Virgin Islands jurisprudence.
"I think it's important to note this is one of the few cases where the rights of the Virgin Islands are articulated on a par with states," Dudley said. From a business community perspective, she said, "I think it's important to note that, while we may not be crazy about the results, we have to take a further look at the fact that the Virgin Islands is starting to come into its own as a jurisdiction with a body of law to be respected."
The territory's wrongful discharge law restricts the rights of employers to terminate employees to nine specific circumstances. It was enacted over the objections of the business community some years ago and has been a bone of contention in the private sector ever since.
What prompted the legal challenge leading to the recent circuit court action was a ruling in a case last February by District Judge Thomas K. Moore that the territorial law was preempted by the National Labor Relations Act. Based on that ruling, the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association and St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association asked Moore for an injunction to stop enforcement of the act, and Moore granted the injunction in April.
Then the V.I. government appealed the case to the Third Circuit, which reversed Moore's ruling and held that the local statue was not federally pre-empted.
Among the issues addressed in the various court rulings, Dudley said, was whether the law was applicable to non-union contracts between employers and employees. Federal law says an employee has the right to join a union but also the right not to do so. The V.I. statute states that the conditions for termination apply "except as provided by union contract." Since the circuit panel held that the V.I. law was not pre-empted by federal law, the provisions remain in place, although the issue itself was not resolved in the ruling.
The three-judge panel held, among other things, that the three business associations lacked legal standing in the case. Since then, the business groups have organized a petition campaign asking the full Third Circuit Court to reconsider the decision.
Dudley said the nine conditions listed in the act as the only acceptable bases for termination make it almost impossible for employers to fire unsatisfactory workers. She added that it was a negative experience with an employee in her own office that compelled her to learn more about the law.
However, she told the Rotarians, since the decision by the three circuit judges was unanimous, the chances the full 14-member circuit court will reconsider the case are slim.
Dudley, a past president and the current secretary of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, said her advice to the business community on how to deal with the problems posed by the wrongful discharge law was to make a concerted effort to support business-friendly candidates in the coming November elections.

Dear Source,
To former resident Donna Lee Allen of NC, I am sure that her senator, Jesse Helms, would be happy to embark on an investigation of a majority black government.
While Virgin Islands corruption is alive and well, let's not be naive in thinking that somehow we have a stranglehold on it or that we have taken it to new heights. Anyone who has lived in NYC knows the depth of corruption there(and elsewhere), except here on the mainland, we know it by another name – Politics.
Dwayne Henry
Ft. Bragg, NC