Chairman of the Governor's Fiscal Recovery Task Force John de Jongh will discuss the five-year economic plan at the League of Women Voters monthly luncheon meeting.
The league welcomes the general public to its monthly meetings, where guest speakers discuss topics of interest relative to governemtn operation and the environment, among other things.
The luncheon begins at 12 noon at L'escargot Restaurant in Subbase.
For reservations call Eleanor Cerge at 776-9357.

It doesn't matter how beautiful our island is, how magnificent the beaches are or what terrific bargains shoppers get here. If we are rude to tourists, they won't come back, and they will tell their friends to stay away!
Last week this fact really hit me in the face . . . not once, but several times.
I was working with buyers from an international retail operation with stores on St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and throughout the world. They told the story of arriving at the airport late the night before and trying to get a taxi directly to an East End hotel.
They were stuffed into a van with several other people and waited a very long time. Tired from having flown several hours, they asked again whether they could get a taxi directly to the hotel. They were rudely told to get out of the taxi. All the luggage that was in the cab had to taken out because theirs had been the first to be put in. They were then shoved into another taxi and finally taken to the hotel for $45 by a taxi driver who they said was not very nice. A great way to begin their time on St. Thomas!
These are people who buy products for resorts all over the U.S. mainland, Hawaii and the Caribbean. They travel and work in the islands that are our competition. They said this was typical of their experiences on St. Thomas and that they are reluctant to recommend our island to their friends for vacation.
The next day I was flying to St. Croix. The day started with the gate agent announcing that the flight would be 1½ hours late. Then she acted as if it were our fault when several of us asked why the flight was late and whether there was chance for further delay.
We were the customers. We were being inconvenienced. But the American employees we spoke to were rude to us for even asking such questions.
Coming home was not any better. When I got back to St. Thomas, I needed a taxi to my office. Like my friends the night before, I was put into a van with several other people despite the fact that I had asked for a taxi directly to my office.
I could not wait 15 or 20 minutes until the van filled up to leave the airport. There were several taxi drivers standing around with nothing to do because it was a slow night. I made my request again and the driver of the first taxi made racist comments about me to other drivers. The dispatcher rudely told me to get into another taxi. That driver was also extremely rude and discourteous.
Pay attention, Tourism Commissioner Michael Bornn! These are not one-time occurrences. They are typical daily happenings. No matter how much money you get to advertise St. Thomas, these types of experiences will turn people away.
The old adage is that if you have a good experience, you will tell one person, but if you have a bad experience, you will tell 10 people.
What can we do? Let's try requiring training for taxi drivers and others who have direct contact with tourists and then make sure the training works. We could have a "mystery visitors" program that recognizes and rewards taxi drivers and others who are helpful to visitors and gives penalty points to those who are rude. Chalk up enough penalty points and you are suspended from your job or lose your permit for a few days.
If you are in a service position, then give good service! That means acting like you are pleased to be helping your customers and giving them the services they request. That is your job, and you are getting paid to do it.
Our islands are competing with all the other islands in the Caribbean as a tourist destination. If we can't spend money to advertise, the least we can do is be ambassadors of goodwill to the tourists who do come here. It doesn't cost a penny, but it will bring visitors back to our island, along with their friends. That's money in the bank!
Teri Golden
St. Thomas

In an effort to meet the Turnbull administration’s mandate that government agencies cut 15 percent from their budgets, the V.I. Board of Education will reduce territorial scholarships and special legislative grants.
In addition to the scholarships, board Chairman Keith Richards told the Senate Finance Committee on Friday that in order for the body to achieve the 15 percent reduction and survive on its $1.3 million budget for fiscal year 2000, other cuts had to be made.
Also impacting the amount of scholarships the board can award is $2,433,209 in 1,700 delinquent student loans. Although 678 people are currently repaying their loans and another 75 are in arrears by up to four months, Richards said the balance owed on student loans hinders the board from providing financial assistance to more students.
In order to collect, the board plans to implement several steps, including:

• Initiate legal action in small claims court.
• Update the list of delinquent loans for publication.
• Initiate automatic payroll deductions on some older accounts for which Social Security numbers are available.
• It implemented an amnesty from June to September that was designed to waive all interest and penalties on delinquent loans.
• Obtain a list of all government employees to cross reference with the delinquent listing and initiate payroll deductions.
• Explore the option of selling delinquent loans on an annual basis.

In an effort to met the Turnbull administration’s mandate that government agencies cut 15 percent from their budgets, the V.I. Board of Education will reduce territorial scholarships and special legislative grants.
In addition to the scholarships, board Chairman Keith Richards told members of the Senate Finance Committee on Friday that in order for the body to achieve the 15 percent reduction and survive on its $1.3 million budget for fiscal year 2000, additional cuts had to be made.
Also cutting into the amount of scholarships the board can award is the $2,433,209 in 1,700 delinquent student loans. Although 678 people are currently repaying their loans and another 75 in arrears by up to four months, Richards said the balance owed on student loans hinders the board from providing financial assistance to more students.
In order to collect, the board plans to implement several steps, including:

• Initiate legal action in small claims court.
• Update the list of delinquent loans for publication.
• Initiate automatic payroll deductions on some older accounts for which Social Security numbers are available.
• It implemented a amnesty from June to September that was designed to waive all interest and penalties on delinquent loans.
• Obtain a list of all government employees to cross reference with the delinquent listing and initiate payroll deductions.
• Explore the option of selling delinquent loans on an annual basis.

Dear Editor:
Thanks so much for such a quality on-line publication as the St. Croix Source. I just can't stop reading it. For a state-side based V.I. resident the Source is the best thing to happen to us since FEMA.
Thanks again,
Glenn Williams,
Queens, New York

Residents seeking licenses as insurance agents, adjusters and brokers are advised that registration for the next insurance examinations will end Sep. 28.
The exams, conducted by the Office of the Lt. Governor's Division of Banking and Insurance, are scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sep. 30, at the Division of Personnel Testing Room.
Applicants are required to pay $25.00 registration fee prior to the exam and be in the testing room at least 15 minutes before the start of the exam. The exam covers property and casualty insurance or life and health insurance.
For additional information, contact Claudette Georges at 773-6449.

Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds told the Senate Finance Committee Friday that her department could sustain only a 5 percent budget cut for Fiscal Year 2000.
Simmonds began her testimony saying she had people praying for her, presumably due to the problems and controversy plaguing her department in recent days.
Thursday night Simmonds faced a five-hour hearing of the Senate Planning and Environmental Protection Committee called to address contaminated water at Sibilly Elementary School and its James Monroe Annex.
Friday morning as Simmonds began her budget testimony, teachers at Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School were staging a walkout following reports of substantial salary increases to some government employees, including a promotion and salary increase of $15,440 for June Archibald, director of public relations for Education — as the teachers await retroactive wages and pay increases.
Simmonds testified that some of the projected 5 percent budget cut would come from replacing long-term personnel who are leaving the department with entry-level personnel at lower salaries.
It was reported that 134 teachers have left the department since January. It is hard to replace them, according to Alscess Lewis-Brown, Education director of personnel and labor relations, because salaries in the territory are not competitive.
The starting salary for teachers is $22,751, with a cap of about $54,000 a year for long-term teachers.
Simmonds said Education is personnel-intensive, pointing out that about 2,500 employees are responsible for the education of 30,000 students.
According to Simmonds' testimony, 66 percent of Education employees are instructional; 19 percent are support staff such as nurses, guidance counselors, librarians, custodians, groundskeepers and food service workers; another 7 percent are school administrators — principals and assistant principals; and 2 percent are adult education staff.
General Education Department administration personnel account for a "mere" 5 percent — according to Simmonds — or about $5.4 million.
The total budget submitted was $121,243,578, of which $108,747,942 is for personal services and fringe benefits. Of that amount, federal funds cover about $12 million.
A total of $29,427,276 is available in federal funds for the territory; however, it was revealed that only about $7.9 million has been drawn down for fiscal year 1999. Brown assured the committee that the funds would not be lost. She said they would be rolled over into the new fiscal year without any reduction in benefits.
Education Committee chair Norman Jn.-Baptiste questioned Simmonds about travel expenditures in July of about $123,000 to send teachers and Board of Education officials to conferences off-island.
Simmonds said the training was necessary and that it was also refreshing and inspirational. She said board members went along so they could see what was required of teachers.
Simmonds said one proposal for saving money was to require high school students to pay for their own transportation to school. She said the department spends $5 million a year on school buses and in the case of the high schools the buses are not fully utilized — they often run half empty. A pass system for Vitran buses could save money, she said.
Another concern in light of the Sibilly School problems was maintenance. Simmonds said there are two plumbers for the entire St. Thomas/St. John district.
Sens. Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Roosevelt David asked Simmonds how the Turnbull administration's reorganization plan might affect her department. Simmonds refused to discuss the plan, saying that question would be answered on Sept. 15 — the date slated for the presentation of the plan.

Dear Source,
A friend of mine just recently introduced me to your wonderful computer site. I had at one time subscribed to a newspaper during the summer months while in North Carolina; however, sporatic delivery or non-delivery made keeping up difficult.
I thoroughly enjoy reading all the news and am not so "out of touch" when I return to paradise for the winter months.

Patsy Shepherd

"Arts After Dark" will have a Spanish accent Wednesday – it's a fiesta to open the observance of Hispanic Heritage Month on St. Thomas.
Presented by the St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council, the event will feature the music, dance, poetry, visual artwork, food and drink of Hispanic peoples and places.
It takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Tillett Gardens, co-hosted by the Languages Unlimited school and Polli's Mexican restaurant, both located within the Tillett complex.
Young people from local schools will demonstrate their Spanish language skills as well as their appreciation of Hispanic heritage. An alcove in the Tillett Gallery will feature work by Hispanic artists and with Hispanic themes. Languages Unlimited will offer mini-lessons en español and Polli's will provide complimentary Mexican finger food and operate a cash bar specializing in margaritas, cuba libres, piña coladas and several brands of cerveza.
The St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council is a not-for-profit, membership-based arts advocacy organization. It's not related to the V.I. Council on the Arts, the government agency that disseminates federal arts funds in the territory.
"Arts After Dark" focuses on different arts forms and takes place at different venues each month. Children accompanied by adults are welcome Wednesday evening. Admission is free. There'll be a raffle to benefit the Arts Council.

Hurricane Floyd was on its way toward the Bahamas Saturday morning, leaving behind nothing more menacing than bands of heavy rain with gusting winds and the possibility of some flooding in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. A small craft advisory remained in effect for the region.
National Hurricane Center analysts said the hurricane is gathering strength on a northwesterly path that could take it to the Bahamas and the southeastern U.S. coast in coming days. At 5 a.m. Floyd's center was located near 21.7 degrees north latitude and 61.6 degrees west longitude, about 365 miles northeast of San Juan.
Local coordinates are 18.3 degrees north and 65.0 degrees west for St. Thomas, and 17.7 degrees north and 64.8 degrees west for St. Croix. A degree equals 60 nautical miles, or a little more than 69 land miles.
Early Saturday, Floyd was moving northwest of Puerto Rico at 10 mph in a path projected to take it about 300 miles northeast of St. Thomas by mid-morning.
Periods of heavy rain and gusty winds associated with the hurricane are likely to affect the Virgin Islands through Sunday. According to weather reports, there is a threat of flooding and flash flooding through Monday, when the main feeder band that connects Floyd with the inter-tropical convergence zone moves across the Virgin islands.
Large northerly swells generated by the hurricane will reach St. Thomas coastal waters today, with seas and winds higher near thunderstorms.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 75 miles from the center of the storm, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.