St. John's Carabana Ensemble Theater Company presents the world premiere of the musical drama "Jankombum," by Eddie Donoghue, at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on St. Thomas. There will also be performances on Friday and Saturday, March 24 and 25. Tickets are $25, with seating in the covered section only. Call 693-1559 for outlets or reservations.
The play depicts life, love, jealousy and betrayal in Danish West Indian slave society, focusing on a free black who seeks to foment revolt and a mulatto woman who marries a white missionary, triggering legal backlash from church authorities. Clarence Cuthbertson, Carabana artistic director, is directing the production.

Most Virgin Islanders agree they don't need 15 senators to represent the 100,000 men, women and children of these islands.
Fifteen senators cost taxpayers close to $1 million apiece to maintain, including central staff. From rabbit warren offices in the overcrowded Legislature Building on St. Thomas, they spend much of their time running for re-election. They like their $65,000 salaries and the perks that tag along. Truth of the matter is, most of them don't accomplish that much. The Senate is not an admirable institution as presently constituted.
There now is a good chance all that will change, possibly as early as 2002.
That persistent proponent of a smaller legislature, Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, succeeded early this month in attaching to an appropriation bill an amendment calling for a referendum on the subject. The bill was passed.
If Gov. Charles W. Turnbull signs it — and there’s no reason he won't, inasmuch as he wants the appropriation — the referendum will be carried out in conjunction with the general election next November.
Voters will be asked whether they are in favor of reducing the Legislature and, if so, whether they favor a senate of 11 or 9 members. The only question in our mind is not whether they'll vote for reduction but whether they will opt for 11 or 9 senators.
The legislature then must, under the terms of Donastorg's amendment, petition Congress once again to amend the Organic Act, the closest thing to a constitution the Virgin Islands has, to give the Virgin Islands the authority to reduce the size of its Senate.
Congressional approval is not a certainty. It will be up to Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen and the governor to steer the legislation through Congress and convince the new president to sign it.
If Christensen and Turnbull can manage that next year, Virgin Islanders could be voting for only 11 or 9 senators in November of 2002. If they have to wait until 2002 for Congress to vote, implementation might not be until 2004.
Donastorg's amendment doesn't propose to change the way Virgin Islanders elect their senators. There would still be one at-large senator, and either four or five each representing the St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix Districts.
However, word from Donastorg's office this week was that the senator had asked that another piece of legislation be drafted which would provide for 100 percent at-large voting for the Senate members. Say the Senate had 11 members. They would include one resident of St. John, five residents of St. Croix and five residents of the St. Thomas/St. John District. But all eligible Virgin Islands voters would be able to vote for all 11, whereas now you vote only for those in your own district plus the at-large senator.
All of this is going to excite local political observers. What would happen under such a system to such hardy Senate perennials as Lorraine Berry, Adelbert Bryan and Chucky Hansen? If Chucky is too much for you to take in a 15-member senate, consider her as one of 11 members or, heaven forfend, as one of only 9.
Notwithstanding, reduction is good. Four-year terms would be even better, but that hasn't made it even to the drawing board yet.
Before departing the subject of the Senate, we take note that last week members of that august body discovered they could no longer make off-island telephone calls from their offices. Seems the Senate hadn't paid its long-distance bill, and the provider cut off service.
Serves 'em right.
Frank J. Jordan is a local radio commentator and a former UVI journalism professor.

Most Virgin Islanders agree they don't need 15 senators to represent 100,000 men, women and children of these islands.
Fifteen senators cost taxpayers close to $1 million apiece to maintain, including central staff. From rabbit warren offices in the overcrowded legislature building on St. Thomas, they spend much of their time running for reelection. They like their $65,000 salaries and the perks that tag along. Truth of the matter is most of them don't accomplish that much. The Senate is not an admirable institution as presently constituted.
There now is a good chance all that will change, possibly as early as 2002.
That persistent proponent of a smaller legislature, Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, succeeded late last week in attaching to an appropriation bill an amendment calling for a referendum on the subject.
The bill was passed. If Gov. Charles W. Turnbull signs it—and there’s no reason he won't, inasmuch as he wants the appropriation—the referendum will be carried out in conjunction with the general election next November.
Voters will be asked whether they are in favor of reducing the legislature and, if so, whether they favor a senate of 11 members or 9 members. The only question in our mind is not whether they'll vote for reduction but whether they will opt for 11 or 9 senators.
The legislature then must, under the terms of Donastorg's amendment, petition the Congress of the United States to once again amend the Organic Act, the closest thing to a constitution the Virgin Islands has, to give the Virgin Islands the authority to reduce the size of its Senate.
Congressional approval is not a certainty. It will be up to Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen and the governor to steer the legislation through Congress and convince the new president to sign it.
If Christensen and Turnbull can manage that next year, Virgin Islanders could be voting for only 11 or 9 senators in November of 2002. If they have to wait until 2002 for Congress' approval, implementation might have to be delayed until 2004
Incidentally, Donastorg's amendment as written wouldn't change the way Virgin Islanders elect their senators. There would still be one at-large senator, and either four or five representing the St. Thomas/St. John District and the St. Croix District.
However, word from Donastorg's office this week was that the senator had asked that another piece of legislation be drafted. This bill would provide for 100% at-large voting for the Senate. Say the Senate had 11 members. They would include one resident of St. John, five residents of St. Croix and five residents of the St. Thomas/St. John District. But all citizens of the Virgin Islands would be eligible to vote for all 11.
All this is going to excite local political observers.
What will happen under the new system to such hardy Senate perennials as Lorraine Berry, Adelbert Bryan and Chucky Hansen?
If Chucky is too much for you to take in a 15-member senate, how would you feel about her as one of 11 members or, heaven forfend, as one of only 9.
Notwithstanding, reduction is good.
Four year terms would be even better, but that hasn't made it even to the drawing board yet.
Finally, before departing the subject of the Senate, we take note that last week members of that august body discovered they could no longer make off-island phone calls from their offices. Seems the Senate hadn't paid its long distance phone bill, and the phone company had shut down the service.
Serves 'em right.
Editor's note: Frank J. Jordan is a local radio commentator and a former UVI journalism professor.

The St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council will host a reception opening its 12th annual Caribbean Colour fine art exhibit, which will be held at the Port of Sale mall on St. Thomas. Any Virgin Islands artist may exhibit one self-selected work in each of several media categories. To receive entry information, call 774-0105 or e-mail to susanedwards@islands.vi.
Exhibitors must be or become Arts Council members and pay a nominal exhibitor fee. Cash awards in various media categories will be presented at the opening. The exhibition will hang for at least four days and possibly six, if Arts Council volunteers are available to "sit" the show.

Mongoose Junction will be presented the Corporate Citizen Award by the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce at its annual awards banquet, at the Estate St. Peter Greathouse on St. Thomas. Tickets are $100.
Glen Speer, owner-developer of Mongoose I, and T.A. Clark, owner of Mongoose II, will be honored. The chamber will also present its annual Community Service Awards, to former Gov. Alexander Farrelly, business executive Avna Paiewonsky Cassinelli and arts patron Rhoda Tillett, and recognize outstanding student future business leaders.
The banquet theme is "Celebrating the Year of the Dragon." There will be music by P'Your Passion. Call 776-0100 for tickets.

Supporters of Cruz Bay becoming a national park Gateway Community invite representatives of local groups to their next meeting, at the St. John Legislature Building, where plans will be presented for the town to become involved in the National Park Service program.
Background information about the program and materials showing what Gateway Communities elsewhere have accomplished are available for review at the St. John Community Foundation office in the Lumberyard Complex. For more information, call the foundation office at 693-9410.

As an "Arts After Dark" event, the St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council presents an open reading of "The Poetry of Paradise" in the coffeeshop of the Frenchtown Deli on St. Thomas.
Poets may read their own works, the unpublished works of anyone else, or the published poems of any Virgin Islands poet. Musical or percussive accompaniment is welcome. Those with published books of poetry may offer them at a "for sale" table.
Those wishing to read are asked to sign up in advance — call or fax 776-4812, e-mail to jetsinger@viaccess.net or be at the site by 5:15 p.m.

St. John artist Lee Eng Khauv is exhibiting her oils and acrylics in the banquet hall of the Westin Resort for two days only, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
She says the mentor who most influenced her work, European painter Jesus Camargo, "taught me to put myself on canvas with rhythm and harmony."

St. John artist Lee Eng Khauv is exhibiting her oils and acrylics in the banquet hall of the Westin Resort for two days only, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
She says the mentor who most influenced her work, European painter Jesus Camargo, "taught me to put myself on canvas with rhythm and harmony."

The St. John Singers spring concert will take place at St. Ursula's Church in Cruz Bay. Guest artists will be Las Tres Amigas and organist Albert Lynch. Tickets will be available at the door; they are $10 for general admission, $5 for those under 12 years.
The showpiece of the performance will be Vivaldi's "Gloria" in its entirety, arranged for women's voices. The program will also include lighter choral pieces in celebration of spring and special music by the trio and on organ.