The Veuve Clicquot Women’s Laser Regatta began Friday morning at the Yacht Club of St. Thomas on Cowpet Bay. Sixty racers began the day with a healthy breakfast of fruit and yogurt, then spent over four hours interacting with champion racer Betsy Allison. At 1 p.m., the ladies climbed aboard their boats and sailed off to put their world class instruction into practice.
This is the thirteenth year Veuve Clicquot Champaign has sponsored the Caribbean Woman’s Laser Championship. This year there is an added sponsorship from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The regatta director is Ruth Miller assisted by William Westman who manages the pit crew responsible for rigging and repairing the boats, and Charles Balch who is the Race Committee director responsible for the actual operation of the races. The event began on Thursday evening so the ladies could become reacquainted with old friends, meet new ones, and compare champagnes. After a couple hours of tasting Veuve Clicquot, everyone is in a most receptive frame of mind.
Friday morning has evolved into a cram session of racing rules, go fast tidbits, and sailing etiquette. The ladies are encouraged to bring their experiences, fears, and questions to the group for informed discussion and resolution. In the afternoon, the racers put their instruction into practice on the water sailing several sets of singles and doubles. Since all sailors rotate through the 15 boat fleet, everyone has an equal opportunity to draw a particularly fast boat. This technique places a higher demand for skill, and luck in the wind and current rather than the equipment.
Friday night the ladies will enjoy a Mexican dinner buffet with life music. After all, one of the primary tenants in sailing is partying with your mates. Saturday will be a full day on the water including a lunch at sea as the women trade around on the available boats. The evening is relegated to a barbecue buffet and more live music. Sunday is a morning of racing followed by a buffet lunch on shore with a Champaign bar and awards ceremony.

Below you will find a direct link to the Winter 2000 issue of Kapok Chronicles, the V.I. National Park newsletter.
Simply click here to access all the park news.

A proposal from Gogo Worldwide Tours to get this winter's tourist season on its feet is now in place with ads starting in the New York Times early in February.
Richard Doumeng, president of the St. Thomas St. John Hotel and Tourism Association, was ecstatic about the anxiously awaited decision.
"I teased the governor," Doumeng said. "I told him if it was the previous administration, this would be cause for a champagne press conference."
The $750,000 campaign is being funded by the Tourism Department, both St. Thomas and St. Croix hotel associations, American and Continental airlines, and Gogo itself. Gogo is the largest tour operator in the Caribbean, handling 80 percent of all travel.
At first the territorial government put up $300,000, but added an additional $154,000. Doumeng commended the efforts of Monique Sibilly- Hodge, acting Tourism commissioner, in securing the funds. Hodge was present at the initial meeting with Bob Lawrence, Gogo vice president, and other hospitality representatives, and has worked on the proposal all along.
Doumeng said that by adding the additional monies, the total figure became higher as it is a cooperative marketing plan, working on a percentage basis from all parties.
"This is the best team effort since Turnbull took office," Doumeng said, adding that it has turned out "even better than I hoped."
Asked if the government's contribution came from the Tourism Revolving Fund, Doumeng said, "I have no idea, and I don't care." He said he is "just happy that we got it." Calls to the Tourism Department remained unanswered.
The campaign will target the U.S. Northeast, the territory's core tourism market, with a series of newspaper ads in area papers such as Connecticut's Hartford Courant. Doumeng said that because the campaign has gotten off expeditiously, he is hopeful that the first ad in the New York Times will appear Feb. 13.
Doumengand other hoteliers and hospitality representatives are off this weekend to Paradise Island, Bahamas, for the Caribbean Hotel Association Marketplace, the largest conference of its kind in the Caribbean, with about 3,000 delegates attending.
"With the Gogo proposal in place," Doumeng said, "we now have something positive to bring to the table."

A proposal from Gogo Worldwide Tours to get this winter's tourist season on its feet is now in place with ads starting in the New York Times early in February.
Richard Doumeng, president of the St. Thomas St. John Hotel and Tourism Association, was ecstatic about the anxiously awaited decision "I teased the governor," Doumeng said, "I told him if it was the previous administration, this would be cause for a champagne press conference."
The $750,000 campaign was funded by the Department of Tourism, both St. Thomas and St. Croix hotel associations, American and Continental airlines, and Gogo, itself. Gogo is the largest tour operator in the Caribbean, handling 80 percent of all travel.
At first the government put up $300,000, but added an additional $154,000. Doumeng commended the efforts of Monique Sibilly- Hodge, acting Tourism commissioner, in securing the funds. Hodge was present at the initial meeting with Bob Lawrence, Gogo vice president, and other hospitality representatives, and has worked on the proposal all along.
Doumeng said that by adding the additional monies, the total figure became higher as it is a cooperative marketing plan, working on a percentage basis from all parties. "This is the best team effort since Turnbull took office," Doumeng said, adding that it has turned out "even better than I hoped."
Asked if the government's contribution came from the tourism revolving fund, Doumeng said, "I have no idea, and I don't care." He said he is "just happy that we got it." Calls to the Department of Tourism at press time, remained unanswered.
The campaign will target the U.S. Northeast, the territory's core tourism market, with a series of newspaper ads in area papers, such as Connecticut's Hartford Courant. Doumeng said that because the campaign has gotten off expeditiously, he is hopeful that the first ad in the N.Y. Times will appear Feb. 13.
Doumeng, and other hoteliers and hospitality representatives, are off this weekend to Paradise Island, Bahamas for the Caribbean Hotel Association Marketplace, the largest conference of its kind in the Caribbean, with about 3,000 delegates attending. "With the Gogo proposal in place," Doumeng said, "we now have something positive to bring to the table."

A proposal from GoGo Worldwide Tours to get the territory's tourist season on its feet is now in place, with ads expected to start in The New York Times in the first half of February.
Richard Doumeng, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association, was ecstatic about the anxiously awaited decision by the government to go with the plan. "I teased the governor," Doumeng said. "I told him if it was the previous administration, this would be cause for a champagne press conference."
The $750,000 campaign is being funded by the Tourism Department, the St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix hotel associations, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, and GoGo itself. GoGo is the largest tour operator in the Caribbean, handling 80 percent of all travel.
The government put up $300,000 at first, but then added $154,000 more. Doumeng commended the efforts of Monique Sibilly-Hodge, acting Tourism commissioner, in securing the funding. Sibilly-Hodge was present at a recent meeting with GoGo vice president Bob Lawrence and other hospitality representatives and had worked on developing the marketing plan.
Doumeng said the additional Tourism funding means the other partners are upping their contributions, too, as it is a cooperative plan worked out on a percentage basis from all parties. "This is the best team effort since Turnbull took office," Doumeng said, adding that it has turned out "even better than I hoped."
Asked if the government's contribution came from the Tourism Revolving Fund, Doumeng said, "I have no idea, and I don't care." He said he is "just happy that we got it." Calls to the Tourism Department seeking clarification had not been returned by the time of posting this story.
The campaign is targeting the U.S. Northeast, the territory's core tourism market, with a series of newspaper ads in area papers including The Hartford Courant. Doumeng said he is hopeful that the first ad in The New York Times will appear Feb. 13.
Doumeng and other V.I. hospitality industry representatives are off to Paradise Island, Bahamas, this weekend to attend annual Caribbean Hotel Association Marketplace, the largest conference of its kind in the region. About 3,000 delegates are expected to take part.
"With the GoGo proposal in place," Doumeng said, "we now have something positive to bring to the table."

We wonder how opponents of the Compulsory Insurance Law view the losses sustained by innocent victims of automobile accidents with uninsured drivers.
What happens to people who lose their cars, who are seriously injured or have family members injured, or who lose their livelihoods as a result of automobile accidents involving uninsured drivers? Why are their plights less compelling, less important, than the predicament of poor people who drive cars but can't afford insurance?
We had compulsory liability insurance in the territory for many years. It never should have been repealed in the first place.
If an automobile owner cannot afford $300 a year for insurance, how can that person afford to repair a seriously damaged vehicle — theirs or someone’s they damage — or pay medical bills or make up for lost wages from injuries suffered in an accident?
In fact, we don't think the Compulsory Insurance Law goes far enough. We think it should include, along with liability coverage for injury to others, mandatory no-fault insurance that would pay medical bills and lost wages for the insured person and the passengers in his or her vehicle. No-fault has worked very well where it has been properly implemented.
We are sorry for people who can afford to keep cars on the road but can't afford to pay insurance on them. However, we feel much sorrier for people who are innocent victims of those uninsured drivers. And, unfortunately, those victims’ tales of woe in recent years, when liability insurance has not been required, are many and heart rending.
Even the offending parties have been hurt by not having insurance. In some cases, they face huge bills for repairs and medical treatment. In others, they face court judgments, although often those judgments are uncollectible.
We say $300 a year is not too much to pay to avoid paying the far heavier price for an accident for the rest of one's life.

We wonder how opponents of the Compulsory Insurance Law view the losses sustained by innocent victims of automobile accidents with uninsured drivers.
What happens to people who lose their cars, are seriously injured or have family members injured, or lose their livelihoods as a result of automobile accidents involving uninsured drivers? Why are their plights less compelling, less important, than the predicament of poor people who drive cars but can't afford insurance?
We had compulsory liability insurance in the territory for many years. It never should have been repealed in the first place.
If an automobile owner cannot afford $300 a year for insurance, how can that person afford to repair a seriously damaged vehicle — theirs or someone’s they damage — or pay medical bills or make up for lost wages from injuries suffered in an accident?
In fact, we don't think the Compulsory Insurance Law goes far enough. We think it should, along with liability coverage for injury to others, include mandatory no-fault insurance that would pay medical bills and lost wages for the insured person and the passengers in his or her vehicle. No-fault has worked very well where it has been properly implemented.
We are sorry for people who can afford to keep cars on the road but not to pay insurance on them. However, we feel much sorrier for people who are innocent victims of those uninsured drivers. And, unfortunately, those victims’ tales of woe in recent years, when liability insurance has not been required, are heart-rending and plentiful.
Even the offending parties have been hurt by not having insurance. In some cases they face huge bills for repairs and medical treatment. In others they face court judgments, though often the judgments are uncollectible.
We say $300 a year is not too much to pay to avoid paying the heavy price for an accident for the rest of one's life.

Dear Source,
First let me wish you, and the editors ,and staff of the Source a very joyous and wonderful New Millennium New Year.
I also want to thank you for keeping all Virgin Islanders, aware and abreast of the happenings back home. Thank you all.
Now, I wish to comment on two things.
First the disgraceful raises granted over at GERS. Its absolutely out of this world at a time the V.I. Government is suffering so much and is in such debt.
People of no conscience. The legislature could amend the law to prohibit those raises if they had the guts.
I would also like to add my little two cents to the WAPA situation.
I firmly believe that the worst thing, the Government and the Legislature could ever due is to sell WAPA.
WAPA has consistently expanded, and grown with the needs of the community. They have always made money ,and if the V.I. Government would pay the millions that they owe, WAPA would never have a problem. If WAPA needs money they can borrow from the Rural Electric Federal Program at, I am told, about 4 percent ,and not have to issue insured bonds at outrageous rates especially TAX FREE ONES. Only the Big Banks and Brokers make money in that deal. What is the purpose of selling WAPA anyway???
Is it to raise money to pay salaries??- Rates definitely will go up believe me. Y You know it and the people know it. If you notice Vitelco borrows millions from the Rural Utility program at the federal level and doesn't issue Bonds.
Third, may I suggest that an issue so important be placed on a ballot for a special election so that all people of the V.I. living there may be able to voice their opinions by voting it up or down.
Thank you for the space for me to voice my opinions.
Thank you Retired Sen. David A Puritz

Dear Gov. Turnbull:
I am writing you on behalf of many Virgin Islanders living in Atlanta: We are sorry to see a golden opportunity for the economic development for St. Croix pass us by.
Many of us who came to the mainland to get an education would love to return to St. Croix and continue the growth of the Virgin Islands. The Beal deal was a definite boost to the St. Croix economy, and many of us who live abroad would love to return to the island if the opportunities were there.
I did not experience the situation first hand, but the information passed on to us gave us the impression the deal did not go through because of the land swap. According to the information, the Legislature and yourself agreed to the land swap but Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen took the matter to court.
The main argument was that the land Beal wanted to swap belonged to the people of St. Croix. Our position here is if the land belongs to the people, why wasn't a special vote held for the people of St. Croix to decide on the land swap? My personal position on the matter is that a park does not help the fading economy of St. Croix.
St. Croix missed out on a great opportunity to build its economy. I do not know if it is too late for the authorities on St. Croix to convince Beal to reconsider and let the people of the island voice their opinion by voting for the land swap. This opportunity would give the economy on St. Croix the jump start it really needs.
This opportunity would provide jobs. People with jobs buy food, people with jobs buy clothes, people with jobs buy/rent houses, and people with jobs spend money on entertainment.
I am sick and tired of the people who have it made make the decisions that are not in the best interest of the common man of St. Croix who wants to make a decent and honest living. Let the opposition know that if our young people do not have an opportunity to prosper on St. Croix, they will leave the island or travel the path of crime.
Many skilled, professional, and executive Virgin Islanders would love the opportunities we have abroad. It hurts my heart when many of my friends that I met in college go back to their hometowns to good opportunities, and I know that I cannot do the same thing. St. Croix will always be home for many of us, and we want to see the economy of St. Croix move in a positive direction.

Derrick Francis is an information technology director in Atlanta

Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christian Christensen announced today that U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Aida Alvarez will present the keynote address for the first annual mid-year conference for the newly opened Women's Business Center in April.
The conference, entitled "Economic Empowerment for the 21st Century," is scheduled to take place April 13-15, 2000 at the Divi Carina Bay Resort on St. Croix, as part of the organization's efforts to assist women in the Virgin Islands who either own or want to establish their own business. The conference will address the different aspects of life, which affect economic empowerment and self-sufficiency in general and for women in particular, and is open to Virgin Islands residents as well as residents of the neighboring Caribbean islands.
The Women's Business Center was established in the territory under the leadership of Christensen, a member of the House Small Business Committee, to provide training, counseling, and mentoring services to current and potential entrepreneurs.
For more information about the conference, contact Yvette deLaubanque at 773-4995.