St. Thomas celebrated Spay Day USA Tuesday in the same spirit as carnival, with pet owners turning out in gaggles and herds.
"The response has been overwhelming . . . the vets are going to kill us," said Lisa Walker, program organizer. The Spay Day program is sponsored by the Humane Society, and all four island veterinarians take part in the program, providing their services at a discounted rate.
An exhausted Walker, still manning the Port of Sale booth after 6 p.m., estimated they signed up close to 300 pet owners. "We did almost 200 here, and I think the shelter had more than 100," she said. No count was available for Fine Friends of Feathers in Bovoni, the third outlet for the applications.
This is the first year of the program, which is funded from a bequest from late island resident Ethel Brinkerhoff, so expectations weren't calculated.
"But the response was wonderful," Walker said. "So many people told me they had wanted to do the right thing for their pet for so long, but they just couldn't afford it." She said it was "really heartening to see people take responsibility for their pets."
Let's see…If 300 animals were spayed or neutered, in a six-year period that could hypothetically reduce the future pet population by more than 20 million.
This is a really rough estimate based on the society's figures of one female dog and her offspring bearing 67,000 puppies in six years.
Walker said that just as she was about to close up shop, one girl came in to pick up six applications for her dog and her dog's five young puppies. Now, if we add, six more animals, times offspring, times six years. . . .Anyway, every dog (or cat), will have his day, and, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't harm their little psyches. This is from the horse's mouth.

Delegate to Congress Donna Christian-Christensen will meet this week with representatives of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and U.S. Customs to try to find the quickest way to rescind a law that bans tourists from returning home with cigarettes or other tobacco products they buy in the Virgin Islands.
She was reacting to a story on the Source Tuesday about the new law, which took business and government leaders by surprise.
Christensen said the legislation was passed in 1997, and the provision concerning the re-importation of American tobacco to the U.S. mainland took effect on Jan. 1 of this year.
She said she was hoping for an administrative waiver of the law for the territory. Barring that, she'll try for a repeal or amended legislation.
She was still researching the history of the proposal but said from what she understands, it was aimed at huge tobacco shipments coming in from Mexico. She described it as "one of those crazy things" that has an unintended effect.
The legislation was backed by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Customs has enforcement responsibility.
It is still unclear how much the tobacco industry is worth to the Virgin Islands. Some estimates put it as high as $20 million. When the products come into the territory, the V.I. government collects excise taxes at a rate, Christensen said, of 23 percent. Then, wholesalers and retailers pay gross receipts taxes on their sales.
"Whatever the amount" of V.I. taxes, it is too much to lose, the delegate said.
Christensen will be at the White House on Wednesday along with Gov. Charles Turnbull and representatives from other territories in a previously arranged meeting with officials from all federal agencies with responsibility for the territories. She said she plans to bring up the tobacco issue at the meeting.
Representatives of Bellows International and West Indies Corp., the two wholesalers in the territory who bring in American tobacco products, did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Customs recently began enforcing the new law in Florida as tourists returned from vacations. By last week, some cruise lines began informing their passengers about it.
Under the law, it is illegal to bring into the United States any tobacco products that were originally sold "for export only." The products bear a stamp identifying them.
The V.I. has for years enjoyed a special exemption from federal taxes, bringing in "for export only" products and selling them to residents and to visitors at well below stateside prices. Cheap cigarettes have enhanced the territory's reputation as a good place for tourists to shop.

Delegate to Congress Donna Christian-Christensen will meet this week with representatives of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and U.S. Customs to try to find the quickest way to rescind a law that bans U.S. tourists from returning home with cigarettes or other tobacco products they buy in the Virgin Islands.
She was reacting to a story on the Source Tuesday about the new law, which took business and government leaders by surprise.
Christensen said the legislation was passed in 1997, and the provision concerning the re-importation of American tobacco to the U.S. mainland went into effect Jan. 1 of this year.
She said she is hoping for some sort of administrative waiver of the law for the territory. Barring that, she'll try for a repeal or amended legislation.
She was still researching the history of the proposal but said from what she understands, it was aimed at huge shipments coming in from Mexico. She described it as "one of those crazy things" that has an unintended effect.
The legislation was backed by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Customs has enforcement responsibility.
It is still unclear how much the tobacco industry is worth to the Virgin Islands. Some estimates put it as high as $20 million. When the products come into the territory, the V.I. government collects excise taxes at a rate, Christensen said, of 23 percent. Then, wholesalers and retailers pay gross receipts taxes on their sales.
"Whatever the amount" of V.I. taxes, it is too much to lose, the delegate said.
Wednesday Christensen will be at the White House along with Gov. Charles Turnbull and representatives from other territories in a previously arranged meeting with officials from all federal agencies with responsibility for the territories. She said she plans to bring up the tobacco issue at the meeting.
Representatives of Bellows International and West Indies Corp., the two wholesalers in the territory who bring in American tobacco products, did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Customs recently began enforcing the new law in Florida as tourists returned from vacations. By last week, some cruise lines began informing their passengers about it.
Under the law, it is illegal to bring into the U.S. any tobacco products that were originally sold "for export only." The products bear a stamp identifying them.
The V.I. has for years enjoyed a special exemption from federal taxes, bringing in the "for export only" products and selling them to residents and to visitors at well below stateside prices. Cheap cigarettes have enhanced the territory's reputation as a good place for tourists to shop.

After receiving "numerous complaints" about the lack of payments from Workers’ Compensation, Sen. Gregory A. Bennerson issued a release saying it is "inexcusable that the Department of Finance and the Department of Labor fail to communicate with each" on the matter.
"The private sector pays into the fund" for those employees who are injured on the job, he said, and "there is no reason" for those departments "to hold the recipients hostage for what is legally theirs."
Bennerson added, "Again the private sector is left holding the short end of the stick. How can the private sector continue to pay into this fund, knowing that the government is not upholding its end of the obligation?" It is such situations, he said, "that have the Virgin Islands in the current mess we are in."
He said those unable to collect compensation due them are "suffering financial hardships and emotional distress due to neglect by the departments. . . There are people who are dependent on this compensation" who are "agonizing over mortgage payments, rent, electrical and water bills and the like."
Bennerson said he has been assured by Government House that the matter has been give priority, and that he will follow up on its action in response.

After receiving "numerous complaints" about the lack of payments from Workers’ Compensation, Sen. Gregory A. Bennerson issued a release saying it is "inexcusable that the Department of Finance and the Department of Labor fail to communicate with each" on the matter.
"The private sector pays into the fund" for those employees who are injured on the job, he said, and "there is no reason for the Departments of Labor and Finance to hold the recipients hostage for what is legally theirs."
Bennerson added, "Again the private sector is left holding the short end of the stick. How can the private sector continue to pay into this fund, knowing that the government is not upholding its end of the obligation?" It is such situations, he said, "that have the Virgin Islands in the current mess we are in."
He said those unable to collect compensation due them are "suffering financial hardships and emotional distress due to neglect by the departments. . . There are people who are dependent on this compensation" who are "agonizing over mortgage payments, rent, electrical and water bills and the like."
Bennerson said he has been assured by Government House that the matter has been give priority, and that he would follow up on its action in response.

After receiving "numerous complaints" about the lack of payments from Workers’ Compensation, Sen. Gregory A. Bennerson issued a release saying it is "inexcusable that the Department of Finance and the Department of Labor fail to communicate with each" on the matter.
"The private sector pays into the fund" for those employees who are injured on the job, he said, and "there is no reason" for those departments "to hold the recipients hostage for what is legally theirs."
Bennerson added, "Again the private sector is left holding the short end of the stick. How can the private sector continue to pay into this fund, knowing that the government is not upholding its end of the obligation?" It is such situations, he said, "that have the Virgin Islands in the current mess we are in."
He said those unable to collect compensation due them are "suffering financial hardships and emotional distress due to neglect by the departments. . . There are people who are dependent on this compensation" who are "agonizing over mortgage payments, rent, electrical and water bills and the like."
Bennerson said he has been assured by Government House that the matter has been give priority, and that he will follow up on its action in response.

"Caribbean Splash" was the lead story in the Sunday Washington Post travel section, featuring all three Virgin Islands in words and photos that come like a breath of fresh (Caribbean) air.
Following a recent complimentary feature in the New York Times travel section, it looks like the territory is getting some sorely needed exposure in the frosty Northeast right where and when it still counts.
Describing the V.I. as an "odd blend of Caribbean culture and domestic familiarity," the articles were written by Carolyn Spencer Brown, who zeroes in on the spirit of each island without ignoring obvious problems.
To get to the really good part, though, Brown says, "In the end what really made the V.I. special for me – so special it was wrenching to return home – was the genuine friendliness I encountered. Everywhere."
"People in St. Croix look at St. Thomas and St. John as almost different countries," Brown heard, and bearing this in mind, set out for the big island.
Her travels in St. Croix, commencing with a seaplane trip from St. Thomas, took her, it would appear, to every leaf of the rainforest and every out-of-the-way little rest stop in between. Along, of course, with some of the more notable tourist attractions.
However, Brown seemed more interested in the feel of St. Croix than, say, a trip to Buck Island. She mentions a woman she met on St. Thomas, a 30-year resident, who had never been to St. Croix. It has simply never occurred to her. She noted the feeling of "detachment" she found in the Cruzans as opposed to their island neighbors.
She was quite taken with the beachfront bar Off the Wall, where she observed "tourists drinking their white zinfandel, and the local guys "slamming back Budweiser." And she spent time at Boz's up the road, as well, getting to know local folk. She said at sunset she felt "not just a long way from home, but from the other Virgins as well."
The disparity in the numbers of cruise ship calls between the islands didn't escape Brown's notice, nor the current economic condition of St. Croix. She mentioned the Divi Resort, noting the boost it is anticipated to bring to the island.
Brown devoted a lot of space to the island's history, from Christopher Columbus to Fountain Valley. She quotes Jacquie Hoare-Ward, innkeeper at the Hilty House Inn B&B. "This happened almost 30 years ago. It's amazing people still bring it up," Hoare-Ward said, summing up the opinion of most Cruzans.
Brown mentions Fredericksted and Christiansted, noting their uniqueness and history. "There are two real towns to explore," she writes, "not villages with soulless shopping bazaars, [but] with genuine historic character."
She concludes on a positive note — in fact, the whole article is positive – "the V.I. offers familiar comforts with just enough spice to make you feel far enough from home to forget about it for a while."
The story is currently on www.msnbc.com – Living & Travel section.

"Caribbean Splash" was the lead story in the Sunday Washington Post travel section, featuring all three Virgin Islands in words and photos that come like a breath of fresh (Caribbean) air.
Following the recent feature in the New York Times travel section, it looks like the territory is getting some sorely needed exposure in the frosty Northeast right where and when it still counts.
Describing the Virgin Islands as an "odd blend of Caribbean culture and domestic familiarity," author Carolyn Spencer Brown zeroes in on the spirit of each island without ignoring obvious problems.
To get to the really good part, though, Brown says, "In the end what really made the V.I. special for me – so special it was wrenching to return home – was the genuine friendliness I encountered. Everywhere."
Brown actually made her way off the beaten tourist path in St. Thomas and did a little exploring. She raves about, in fact, St. Thomas Dairies' Udder Delite's "Udder Delite," (almond crunch and amaretto for the uninitiated), as opposed to Mountain Top's Banana Daiquiris.
She loves Magens Bay, of course, but recommends the beginning or end of the day when the beach is "almost ethereal in its emptiness in the early evening."
Frenchtown doesn't escape her glance — she knows there are fishermen there and that some speak French, that its descendants are mainly from St. Barts, and that it boasts "some of the island's best restaurants."
En route to the other side of the island, both the Kiln Works and Mango Tango get honorable mention, to say nothing of Duffy's Love Shack and its 64-ounce drink, the Shark Tank. She remarks that Duffy's parking lot nighttime scene reminds her of a "Redskin tailgate party."
She does mention some negative elements – burglaries, for instance — but doesn't allow that to obscure her obvious delight with the territory. She says "The U.S. has lumped the islands together for ease of governing and marketing 'America's Paradise,' but it's no utopia."
And St. Thomas's traffic came to her attention: "a bear," she says. Imagine.
In fact, about her only other complaint was the multitude of cruise ship passengers. Though she seems to appreciate their importance to the economy, they "get in the way" on Main Street, at Magens Bay and at Coki Point beach.
However, she manages to skirt the crowds. Back at her hotel on Government Hill, sipping wine with her friends, she sighs as the last ship leaves port and "we feel relieved to have 'our' island back." The St. Thomas story is headed by a panoramic photo of Mahogany Run golf course.
The story is currently on www.msnbc – Living & Travel section.

Nearly six months after legislation was approved giving the territorial hospitals greater controls over their affairs, there is still some uncertainty about semi-autonomy for the health care facilities territory-wide.
During this week’s meeting of the Roy L. Schneider Hospital board, Eugene Woods, chief executive officer, lamented the continuing delays in getting notices of personnel action, hiring papers, processed for critically-needed staff.
"It’s taking on average two to four months to process the NOPA’s for nursing positions in the emergency room and other critical areas," he said adding that the hospital’s administration is currently negotiating with the central government to eliminate much of the delay in hiring, while not compromising fiscal controls.
There is every incentive for the hospital to expedite the hiring process, Woods said, given the areas in which there are, and have been staffing shortages.
"There is a shortage both here and stateside," he said noting that some states are offering signing bonuses upon hiring. "But we do not have that flexibility here."
Woods speculated that much of what is preventing the hospital from filling critical positions has to do with unfamiliarity with the semi-autonomy law passed last August. Some government officers, he admitted, are simply not comfortable being asked to do things differently than in the past.
Woods expressed confidence that the hospital and the Turnbull administration will work things out, given the governor’s commitment to the goal of greater hospital autonomy. "They agreed to fast-track the positions under the new law," he said Monday. "We have been meeting with the governor to hammer out the wrinkles in the legislation’s implementation," he added.
The hospital is reportedly working with the University of the Virgin Islands towards the identification of nurses that can be recruited locally.

Rusan Alexander was 16 when she came from Dominica to St. Thomas three and a half years ago to join her parents, who had moved to the territory a little earlier. Her mother, having heard that someone that old couldn't get into the V.I. public school system, followed a lead she had received about the Job Corps and persuaded the teenager to apply for admission to the mainland program.
Although Alexander was reluctant to travel to a land that was foreign to her, especially so soon after being reunited with her parents, it turned out to be a positive experience in both education and motivation.
Through the efforts of Advantage Resource Group, the Job Corps agency for St. Thomas and St. John, she was accepted into the Delaware Valley Job Corps Center in Callicoon, N.Y., and went on to pass her high school equivalency examinations there with very high scores and to complete clerical training.
Then the center helped her to enroll in the nearby Marist College for a semester on a trial basis. After she earned above-average grades there, the Job Corps sent her to Sullivan County Community College, with the stipulation that she maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.0, or C. She did a lot better, making the dean's list several times.
"Job Corps is normally a two-year training and education program for young people ages 16 to 24," Advantage Resource Group administrator Carmen Nibbs-O'Garro says. "Due to her exceptional abilities and her proximity to completion, Alexander was given an extension." Last December, she completed her studies for an associate of arts degree with a major in journalism.
Alexander herself says Job Corps "was quite an experience for me. Definitely there were good times and bad times." She recalls having to leave the Delaware Valley housing facility early on cold winter mornings for college classes and not getting back until after 8 p.m. Even eating required some adjustment, as "the food was very different to what we ate back on St. Thomas and in Dominica." But her efforts were worth it, she says, for "my accomplishments have overshadowed all that."
She credits part of her success to the encouragement and support the Job Corps staff provided her. At Delaware Valley, she was active in the center choir and a Big Sister mentor to new enrollees, helping them adjust to life there and taking part in peer mediation. She was also voted Student of the Month.
Her associate degree is just the start of her career path, though. The daughter of Mariana and Thomas Alexander aspires to become a lawyer, and she has a plan in place to reach that goal. She has enlisted in the Air Force and, after having been home on St. Thomas for a couple of months, will leave for basic training shortly. While she is in the service she plans to continue her college studies under the G.I. Bill.