Judge Maria Cabret of St. Croix is Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's choice to be presiding judge of the Territorial Court.
If she is confirmed by the Senate, Cabret will replace Judge Verne A. Hodge in the top judicial post when Hodge retires next month.
St. Thomas attorney Rhys Hodge will fill Hodge's seat on the St. Thomas bench. Both appointments were announced Friday afternoon at a Government House press conference.
Turnbull also announced his reappointment of Territorial Court Judge Ive A. Swan in St. Thomas.
Cabret has been in charge of the St. Croix branch of the Territorial Court, where she won general praise for her handling of those administrative responsibilities.
If the Senate confirms her reappointment — which seems a forgone conclusion — Cabret will become only the second presiding judge of the Territorial Court. Verne Hodge has filled that post since the court came into existence on Jan. 1, 1977.
By law, the governor has the authority to name the court's presiding judge.

Judge Maria Cabret of St. Croix is Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's choice to be presiding judge of the Territorial Court.
Cabret will replace Judge Verne A. Hodge in the top administrative post when Hodge retires next month. St. Thomas attorney Rhys Hodge will fill Hodge's seat on the St. Thomas bench.
Both appointments were announced Friday afternoon at a Government House press conference.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull also announced his reappointment of Territorial Court Judge Ive A. Swan in St. Thomas.
Cabret has been in charge of the St. Croix branch of the Territorial Court and has won general praise for her handling of those administrative responsibilities.
Her appointment will mark the first time the presiding judgeship will go to a St. Croix judge and to a woman. Verne Hodge has been presiding judge since the Territorial Court was established in the mid-'70s.

We have to wonder at Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's thinking. We also have to wonder whom he's taking advice from.
The firing of acting Tourism Commissioner Michael Bornn was a very untimely and unfortunate move.
While we fully understand that Bornn was something of a loose cannon, and while we appreciate the need of the boss to have some control over his employees, we think that a more creative approach to Bornn's outspokenness might have been more productive.
This territory is in dire straits. Tourism is our only product. We have had three commissioners in the last 12 months and the one who seemed to have the overwhelming confidence of the public is now gone – right at the start of the 1999-2000 winter tourism season.
We hear the frustration and even rage of the community over this action everywhere we turn.
We feel the anxiety over what this means in terms of a sorely needed successful tourist season.
How can we come back from this blow to our image as a destination?
Who is going to replace this dynamic – albeit roguish – leader?
We are aware of the governor's penchant for vacillation. We could hope that he would change his mind on the Bornn issue. But even if he did, we don't think Bornn would come back. And we can't blame him.
When a private business owner fires an employee who refuses to abide by the employer's policy initiatives, that affects the employee, his family and the business owner.
But this is not a private business. This is the public sector and we've heard many, many politicos say you can't run expect the government to run like a business. In this case we must agree.
When you fire someone like Michael Bornn, someone who brought hope and encouragement to a depressed community, it affects the entire territory.
The governor said it himself: Bornn had the support of people who never agree on anything.
It is not Bornn who lost the confidence of the people in this scenario. It is the governor. Unfortunately, it is the people who will pay the price for the governor's ill-conceived move.

Judge Maria Cabret of St. Croix is Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's choice to be presiding judge of the Territorial Court.
If she is confirmed by the Senate, Cabret will replace Judge Verne A. Hodge in the top judicial post when Hodge retires next month.
St. Thomas attorney Rhys Hodge will fill Hodge's seat on the St. Thomas bench. Both appointments were announced Friday afternoon at a Government House press conference.
Turnbull also announced his reappointment of Territorial Court Judge Ive A. Swan in St. Thomas.
Cabret has been in charge of the St. Croix branch of the Territorial Court, where she won general praise for her handling of those administrative responsibilities.
If the Senate confirms her reappointment — which seems a forgone conclusion — Cabret will become only the second presiding judge of the Territorial Court. Verne Hodge has filled that post since the court came into existence on Jan. 1, 1977.
By law, the governor has the authority to name the court's presiding judge.

People's March Committee member Usie Richards announces that a press conference will be held Friday to discuss a variety of issues facing the territory.
The conference will take place Friday at 2 p.m. at the Penthouse Rooftop in Castle Coakley.

Chefs at some of St. Croix’s best restaurants will be featured on the Discovery Channel’s Great Chef’s program this November and December.
On Nov. 10 at 4:30 est, Chef Michael Madsen of St. Croix’s Great House at Villa Madeleine will create his shrimp saute in star fruit salsa. Madsen will appear again on Dec. 2 preparing rack of lamb crusted with hazelnuts and Dijon mustard on framboise demiglace.
On Monday, Nov. 22 at 4:30 p.m., Dave Kendrick of Kendrick’s will tempt viewers with his sponge cake with sauteed bananas and spiced rum butter.
The next day at the same time and channel, Bent Rasmussen of Top Hat Restaurant will make his almond sticks.
Chefs from The Old Stone Farm House on St. Thomas and the Caneel Bay Resort on St. John will also be featured.

The V.I. Water and Power Authority has started removing and replacing defective and undersized water lines in Christiansted.
WAPA’s contractor, Rotating Equipment Corp., will be replacing the water lines beginning at the entrance of the Water Distribution Administration Office going east to Route 752 in front of the Richmond Fire Station towards the Department of Property and Procurement intersection on Street E.
At Street E, work will go north and south. The northern section will end at the Charles Harwood Hospital intersection at Northshore Road. The southern section will go south on Street E to West Street along the shoreline and end at the Valmy Thomas Sporting Goods Shop in Watergut.
WAPA officials are anticipating the first segment of the construction of the Christiansted Water Rehabilitation Project will take six weeks. The $614,411 project is being funded by WAPA and the Department of Interior.

A provision of the memorandum of understanding between the V.I. and federal government vehemently opposed by local labor leaders has been watered down after lobbying by a national labor union.
Along with mandating that the government cut its budget by reducing payroll, eliminating five paid government holidays and trimming department spending, a major part of the memorandum called for restructuring the territory’s public labor relations laws, including Act No. 4440, to conform with the federal labor relations law by June 30, 2000.
The memorandum stated that the territory’s general fund deficits of recent years have been aggravated significantly by "collective bargaining agreements, whereby (V.I. government) employees enjoy greater bargaining rights than those enjoyed by federal employees."
According to a statement Thursday night from the Central Labor Council, the amendment to the memorandum was secured by George Becker, president of the United Steel Workers of America.
The new wording reads as follows:
"Recognizing that salaries and benefits are a portion of overall local government expenditures, the governor and union representatives are encouraged to pursue through collective bargaining reform initiatives to assist in the fiscal solvency of the government of the Virgin Islands."
In a release late Thursday, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, who signed the memorandum with Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt earlier this month, said the change was requested by Interior. He said the new language allows the governor the flexibility to negotiate with the unions through collective bargaining.
Luis "Tito" Morales, president of the CLC, said the amendment will allow unions to negotiate any changes to Act. 4440.
"We were able to achieve this as a result of the meeting with the White House on Oct. 18," he said. "I think this is a step in the right direction, and it shows a willingness to work with the unions. Hopefully we will be able to attain similar success with five other measures we have pending from our meeting with the White House."
In the White House meeting, Becker and Morales met with Clinton administration officials from the Office of Management and Budget and the Council of Economic Advisers. The meeting was conducted by Karen Tramontano, counselor to President Clinton’s chief of staff.
Discussions centered around the territory’s financial problems, including the government’s $1 billion deficit and a possible grant to relieve the debt, unfunded federal mandates not being paid, court-ordered infrastructure improvements and exhaustion of the V.I.’s borrowing ability.
Becker said the union also raised the need for the federal government to continue the current level of the rum-excise tax after December’s expiration date and the need for the administration and Congress to determine whether the territory is entitled to a return of gasoline-excise taxes from HOVENSA.
The local Steel Workers union represents 1,500 of the 10,000 public employees in the Virgin Islands as well as workers at the HOVENSA refinery.

A provision of the memorandum of understanding between the V.I. and federal government vehemently opposed by local labor leaders has been changed after lobbying by a national labor union.
Along with mandating that the government cut its budget by reducing payroll, eliminate five paid government holidays and trim department spending, a major part of the memorandum calls for the restructuring of the territory’s public labor relations laws, including Act No. 4440, to conform with the federal public labor relations law by June 30, 2000.
The memorandum stated that the territory’s general fund deficits of recent years have been aggravated significantly by "collective bargaining agreements, whereby (government of the Virgin Islands) employees enjoy greater bargaining rights than those enjoyed by federal employees."
According to a statement from the Central Labor Council Thursday night, the amendment to the memorandum was secured by George Becker, president of the United Steel Workers of America.
The new wording reads as follows:
"Recognizing that salaries and benefits are a portion of overall local government expenditures, the Governor and union representatives are encouraged to pursue through collective bargaining reform initiatives to assist in the fiscal solvency of the Government of the Virgin Islands."
In a release late Thursday, Gov. Charles Turnbull, who signed the memorandum with Interior Department Secretary Bruce Babbitt earlier this month, said the change was requested by Interior. He said the new language allows the governor the flexibility to negotiate with the unions through collective bargaining.
Luis "Tito" Morales, president of the CLC, said the amendment will allow unions to negotiate any changes to Act. 4440.
"We were able to achieve this as a result of the meeting with the White House on Oct. 18," he said. "I think this is a step in the right direction, and it shows a willingness to work with the unions. Hopefully we will be able to attain similar success with five other measures we have pending from our meeting with the White House."
In the White House meeting, Becker and Morales met with Clinton administration officials from the Office of Management and Budget and the Council of Economic Advisors. The meeting was conducted by Karen Tramontano, counselor to President Clinton’s Chief of Staff.
Discussions centered around the territory’s financial problems, including the government’s $1 billion deficit and a possible grant to relieve the debt, unfunded federal mandates not being paid, court-ordered infrastructure improvements and exhaustion of the V.I.’s borrowing ability.
Becker said the union also raised the need for the federal government to continue the current level of the rum excise tax past December’s expiration date and the need for the administration and Congress to determine whether the territory is entitled to a return of gasoline excise taxes from HOVENSA.
The local Steelworkers union represents 1,500 of the 10,000 public employees in the Virgin Islands as well as workers at the HOVENSA refinery.

The V.I. Charteryacht League will host a marine trade show on Saturday, Nov. 13, at American Yacht Harbor. Charter boat and marine industry vendors and support business are invited to showcase their goods and services to professional charter boat owners and operators, private boat owners in the community and potential boat owners.
The show will be open to the public from 2 to 5 p.m. and will offer programing that evening geared toward participants in this year's 25th annual VICL Charter Boat Show. The boat show, held annually to allow off-island charter brokers to visit vessels in the local charter fleet and speak with the captains and crews, will be held Nov. 10-13 at Crown Bay Marina.
"There is a large private boat ownership in this community," a VICL release about the trade show states, urging marine-related businesses to "take advantage of this event to showcase your expertise and products. This local clientele is, or should be, your bread and butter all year 'round."
Boat chartering crews have limited time to complete turnarounds, including maintenance and repairs, between charters, the release notes. The marine trade show offers an opportunity to suppliers to "make sure you are the person at the top of the list that they call when they need help."
Exhibition space will be on the breezeway and the Marlin Deck of the main AYH building. In case of rain, it will be moved into an unleased commercial space at the complex.
The fee structure for exhibitors is as follows:
Provide your own table: $25 plus a $50 value door prize or certificate
Small table provided: $50 plus a $50 value door prize or gift certificate
Large table provided: $85 plus a $50 value door prize or gift certificate
Exhibitor registrations will be accepted through Friday, Nov. 5. Registration forms may be picked up at the American Yacht Harbor marina office, Ace Hardware and The Color of Joy in Red Hook; at all Island Marine locations; at the VI Charter Yacht League office at Yacht Haven Marina; and at the Crown Bay Marina office. To have a form mailed or faxed, call 774-3944 or fax to 776-4468.