School are closed for the holiday break until next week, but the Guy H. Benjamin School is a busy place these days.
Nearly 50 St. John volunteers showed up at the Coral Bay school on Monday to take part in the clean-up and repair of the building and schoolgrounds, and work is expected to continue through Saturday.
The effort was organized by Parent-Teacher Association president Yulandra Richards, who said problems with the school building had been building up for years. After birds began invading one classroom through a hole in the roof last fall, teachers staged a walkout.
Months ago, the Benjamin PTA members developed a lengthy list of problems needing to be addressed. Then they began soliciting cash contributions, building materials and volunteer assistance from trades workers and carpenters. By the time the clean-up got under way on Jan. 3, they had enlisted help from the Education and Public Works Departments and V.I. Fire Services, as well as the private sector.
By Monday afternoon, Richards and PTA public relations officer Junie Violenes reported that roof gutters had been cleared, classroom had received fresh coats of paint, the school water cooler had been cleaned, and an assortment of leaks had been caulked. Alongside the school playing field, firefighters had the construction of new wooden bleachers well under way.
Items remaining on the PTA's list included installing a grease trap and repairing and replacing fencing, Richards said. "Parents and teachers will continue working throughout the week, and then there will be a final big clean-up by Saturday," she said.
Violenes said the school playground committee volunteers were just waiting for a delivery of gravel and concrete from a local construction company whose truck had broken down on Monday. She said a long list of companies and individuals donated lumber, paint, hardware, other materials, food and $600 in cash.
According to Richards, the week-long effort won't solve all of the school's physical plant problems in time for the resumption of classes. Repairs and improvements that will still await resolution, she said, include the installation of a new classroom door promised by Education officials.

Called everything from "essentially a liberal soap opera," by Time Magazine to "an exercise in atmosphere" by another source, "Snow Falling on Cedars" is getting a lot of attention, especially for the "lush and elegant cinematography," if not for the story.
The story starts out in a courtroom in a small town on the Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound, where a Japanese-American, Kabuo Miyomoto, played by Rick Yune, is on trial for his life in the killing of a local fisherman, a childhood friend. It is an adaptation of David Guterson's celebrated first novel.
As the trial unfolds, a series of flashbacks relates a deeper story. The flashbacks, are apparently, where the story loses its punch. Described, variously, as "an exercise in atmosphere," and "visually stunning," the scenes tend to cloud, literally and figuratively, the story.
Miyomoto and his wife, the comely Hatsue, played by Youki Kudoh, had been sent at the start of World War II to an internment camp where they had fallen in love. The story glosses over the camp experience, but does dwell on a romance between Hatsue and a reporter covering the trial, Ishmael Chambers, played by Ethan Hawke.
This romance had budded when both were young, long before the war, when their Japanese-American and Anglo community had lived peacefully. Chambers has never recovered from his deep infatuation with Hatsue, and this clouds, that word again, his judgment as he covers the trial, and the story becomes increasingly complex.
The movie is a must see for fans of the Pacific Northwest. It is directed by Scott Hicks, who directed the award-winning "Shine."
It is rated PG-13 for "disturbing war images, sensuality and brief strong language."
It starts Thursday, Jan. 6 at Sunny Isle.

After many months, even years, in the planning stage, the north side now has its own gas station, complete with a small grocery. This has been a dream of north side resident Helen Berry Baker for "a long time."
"I've thought about this since the area was re-zoned into commercial property, but it hasn't been easy," Baker said. For one, getting the necessary permits was time consuming, to say nothing of going into a new endeavor.
But Baker is no stranger to business. She owned and managed the popular Berry's Farm restaurant on the same property for several years. She decided against reopening the restaurant in favor of a new concept. "I've spent some time in Texas in the past few years and I noticed something," she said. "You will see in small communities a country store, but it will be something extra," she explained. "They will have a little post-office, and usually a gas station, as well."
Baker said it gave her the idea of building a gas station on the north side, which is a small community where one has to go to town to get gas, which a lot of people don't want to do.
"I think having a little grocery and gas station gives the community something, a sort of self-sufficiency which is nice," Baker said, summing up her business concept.
She leased the property to a young couple with school-age children who are anxious to work at their own business, and they opened the third week of December. "We're all very enthusiastic," Baker said. And it's not just a grocery store. The new entrepreneurs bake their own bread and pastries on the premises, and even have coffee.
"People coming by have been very happy we're here, happy for the convenience," Baker said. There hasn't been a grocery in the area since the Nordside closed a few years ago.
Bearing out Baker's theory of a neighborhood business, it is called "Friendly Grocery and Gas Station," and it is open from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily.

Mechanical difficulties sidelined bus service on St. John Wednesday. A terse statement faxed to St. John Source on Wednesday morning said that the mechanical difficulties prevented the Vitran buses from running their daily routes.
"The public will be notified immediately when we are again able to run the schedule," the statement said.
On St. John, Vitran provides regular bus service between Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.

NSA meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8, and at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 9, at the Baha'i Center.
For more information call Susan Wakelee at 775-5988.

The Baha'is of St. Thomas will be holding PTI class at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 7. For directions, call 776-2029.

VICC's Children's Activities sub-committee is urging anyone interested in the Carnival 2000 Calypso Competition to attend a meeting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Ja. 8, at the Winston Raymo Recreation Center.
Please arrive on time for an efficient, productive meeting.
For more information, call Edris Robles at 776-2927.

A regular meeting for all VICC subcommittee chairpersons will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10, at the VICC Headquarters.
This first meeting following the holiday break will include a discussion advancing plans for the upcoming Carnival events. Everyone is asked to arrive on time for an efficient, productive meeting.
for more information, call the VICC office at 776-3112.

A 15-year-old boy surrendered to police earlier this week in connection with the shooting death of Tomasito Ledesma, age 16, on Dec. 28.
The minor is being held on second degree murder charges according to Radio One news.
Ledesma of Sally's Fancy was shot once in the head as he and a group of friends were gathered in an abandoned building near Ludvig Harrigan Court.
Reportedly the 15-year-old entered the abandoned building showing off a handgun when the weapon went off striking Ledesma, who died at 2:15 a.m. at the Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital.
The 15-year-old turned himself in to an off-duty Police officer with whom he was acquainted, according to media reports.
He is being held at St. Croix's Youth Rehabilitation Center.

In accordance with provisions of the 1954 Revised Organic Act, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull is to deliver his second State of the Territory Address to the Legislature at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10.
The act requires that the address be delivered on the second Monday in January. Government House has not commented on the theme of this year's address by the governor to the "first branch of government."
St. Thomas radio stations WVWI/Radio One (1000 AM), WSTA/Lucky 13 (1340 AM) and WIUJ (102.9 FM) plan live coverage of the address.
St. Croix stations planning to broadcast the address live include WSTX (970 AM) and WRRA (1290 AM).
The territory's Public Broadcasting System channel, WTJX-TV, also plans live coverage of the address.