Lillian E. Francis

Lillian E. Francis died on March 30.

A viewing will be held from 5-7 p.m., Monday, April 17, at Turnbull’s Funeral Home. A second viewing will be held at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 18, at Holy Family Church.

She is survived by her husband, Anthony Francis; sons: Charles Thomas, Lenworth Thomas, Alexis Thomas and Clayton Francis; daughters: Olivia Williams and Amber Saddler; sons-in-law: Vendel Williams and Peter Saddler; daughters-in-law: Gwen Thomas and Terry Thomas; nieces: Dahlia and Angella Matthew; nephew, Al Matthew; stepdaughter: Gladydis Lettsome; stepson, Willian Francis; and goddaughter, Ocelda Gumbs.

She is also survived by grandchildren: Kendall Williams, Vendel Williams Jr., Alexis Thomas Jr., Wendell Thomas, Marlan Saddler, Lenworth Thomas Jr., Alastair Thomas, Charles Thomas Jr., Wendy Williams, Alexsa Thomas, Akiela Thomas, Kenya Charles, Ebony Thomas, Jasmine Thomas, Lanaya Thomas, Shinell Thomas, Tenique Francis and Kadiesha Henry; 23 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.

Professional Funeral Services are entrusted to Turnbull’s Funeral Home. Telephone: 779-6565; e-mail: turnbullsfuneralhomevi@yahoo.com

The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Student Government Association’s Social and Cultural Committee will host the 2nd Annual UVI Village on Thursday, April 13, in the front parking lot of the Sports and Fitness Center.

This year, the university is celebrating its 55th anniversary as the V.I. commemorates the Centennial of the Virgin Islands becoming a United States territory.

“We are highlighting this monumental time with [an] explosion of V.I. culture and customs with a taste of Buccaneer pride,” said Leon Lafond, UVI student activities director.  “There will be games, food, an opportunity to win prizes, entertainment and so much more.”

The event will be opened at 1 p.m. when a Pride Parade leads into an opening ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Sports and Fitness Center parking lot. Entertainment will be provided by Spectrum Band, The Venomous Poizon Band and a special guest DJ.

“This will be an amazing event for all faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the wider Virgin Islands community to attend,” said Lafond. “As we embrace the culture of the Virgin Islands and UVI being the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Caribbean, we encourage families to support such positive initiatives as such.”

Two distinguished titles will be awarded at the event. These titles include a pageant raffle and the UVI Village 2017 Grand Marshall, both of whom will be representative of culture and pride.

Registered UVI clubs and organizations as well as UVI departments will host booths at which food and drinks will be on sale and games will be available.  There will also be an expo segment of the event occurring throughout the afternoon that will include an array of presentations and display boards that represent U.S.V.I. culture, especially during its 100-year history. UVI’s Carnival Village is the official kick-off of the UVI’s Pride Week events.

Miss UVI Angelique Flemming

Angelique Flemming was crowned Miss University of the Virgin Islands 2017-2018 at the 37th Annual Miss UVI Ambassadorial Competition held on Saturday, April 8, at the St. Croix Educational Complex.

Flemming is a sophomore psychology major. The 19-year-old was born on St. Croix and is attending UVI on the Albert A. Sheen Campus, St. Croix.

“While preparing for the Miss UVI Ambassadorial Competition, the quotes I kept in mind were: ‘Do not let anyone define you’ and ‘With God, anything is possible.’ After winning the crown I felt honored, privileged and humbled,” Flemming said. “I hope to accomplish the goals of a UVI ambassador by enforcing the message ‘increasing enrollment at the university’ via my platform Empowering Youth for UVI.”

“I will be actively engaged in the recruitment efforts by visiting the high schools in the Virgin Islands and selling the great story of UVI and its academic programs,” she said.  

At Saturday’s competition, Shantee Sookraj was named first runner-up and Nigencia James was awarded second runner-up.

In addition to the UVI crown, Flemming won Best Ambassadorial Presentation and Best Performing Talent. Shantee Sookraj was named Miss Photogenic, Miss Popularity and Most Eloquent/Intellectual Speaker. Best evening wear was awarded to Alexandra Abi-Mikhael.

Flemming ran against five other contestants including Shantee Sookraj, nursing major; Nigencia James, communication major; Alexandra Abi-Mikhael, psychology major; and Rachel Arenson, nursing major.

Miss UVI will receive one full year of UVI tuition, including room and board, along with other prizes.

The Miss UVI Ambassadorial Competition was presented by the Queen’s Committee of the UVI Student Government Association. 

The 15th Annual Against the Tide in the Virgin Islands: Swim for Breast Cancer was held on Saturday, April 8. The following are the results.

First Place Finishers

Youth: Male

Wader: Jailen Juluke — 15:01

Swimmer: — Kyonni Lavinier — 29:20

Adults: Female

Wader: Elizabeth Aubain 19:02

Swimmer: Emily Luscz 24:07

Fins: Becky Luscz 19:44

Adults: Male

Swimmer: Nicholas Jones 17:02

Fins: John Shovlain 21:38

School Team: Dober 1

Business Team: Hook Line & Sinker 15

Youngest: Kyonni Lavinier 2           

 Oldest: Elizabeth Aubain 88

Place Number – Youth/Adult – Sex – W/S/F — Name – Time — Team (W/S/F means Wade/Swim/Fin) 

1    1    Y    M    S    Jailen Juluke    15:21    Dober School

2    12    A    M    S    Nicholas Jones    17:02    Barracudas

3    13    A    M    S    John Linnborn    18:23    Barracudas

4    6    A    F    W    Elizabeth Aubain    19:02    Betsy’s Bar

5    18    A    M    S    Dan Peters    19:12    Barracudas

6    9    A    F    F    Becky Luscz    19:44    Hook Line & Sinker

7    3    A    F    W    Linda Evans    21:07    Betsy’s Bar

8    28    A    F    W    Carol Tuohy    21:31    Red Hats

9    27    A    M    F    John Shovlain    21:38    Magens Bay

10    21    A    F    F    Susan Edwards    22:06    

11    15    A    F    F    Linda Caiger    22:23    Hook Line & Sinker

12    22    A    M    F    Don Edwards    22:31    

13    7    A    F    F    Lisa Berger    22:50    Hook Line & Sinker

14    23    A    M    S    John Carpenter    23:53    

15    8    A    F    S    Emily Luscz    24:07    Hook Line & Sinker

16    10    A    M    S    Kris Dender    24:58    Coastie

17    17    A    M    S    Anthony Bider    26:14    Barracudas

18    4    A    F    W    Debbie Pennington    26:15    Betsy’s Bar

19    30    A    M    S    Wally Bostwick    26:17    Hook Line & Sinker

20    5    A    F    W    Elysia Vetter    26:42    Betsy’s Bar

21    25    A    F    W    Jenna Smoczyk    27:17    Hook Line & Sinker

22    14    A    M    S    Chad Walters    27:17.6    Hook Line & Sinker

23    26    A    F    W    Anna Linscott    27:24    Hook Line & Sinker

24    19    Y    M    S    Kyonni Lavinier    29:20    Hook Line & Sinker

25    20    A    F    W    Keli Merrifield    29:21    Hook Line & Sinker

26    11    A    F    F    Mother of Dragons    29:44    Hook Line & Sinker

27    2    A    M    F    Frank Kirwan    32:09    Hook Line & Sinker

28    29    A    M    PB    Chris Nelson    33:34    Magens Bay

29    24    A    F    S    Mary Ho    34:26    Hook Line & Sinker

30    16    A    F    S    Diane Stolmon    37:28    Hook Line & Sinker

The duties of the Government Employees Services Commission will be pared back to just its primary role of negotiating the government health insurance contract, eliminating employee complaint response roles that overlap with other agencies and boards, if legislation approved in committee becomes law.

Sen. Novelle Francis (File photo by Barry Leerdam courtesy of the V.I. Legislature)

The Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services sent on two bills, after some amendments. One bill renames the GE

SC the Health Insurance Board of Trustees and requires one of the members be an insurance broker or agent. The other removes several responsibilities from the board that are unrelated to its main insurance function. An amendment reduced the number of members from nine to eight, reduced district-based membership requirements and reduced the quorum from five to four.

Sen. Novelle Francis (D-STX), the sponsor of both bills, said that since the Health Insurance Board was created in 1959 and expanded to the GESC

in 1962, the Legislature has added statutory responsibilities that more appropriately belong elsewhere.

“Since then by code it has been authorized to hear appeals regarding personnel appointments; Hear appeals regarding employee pay; make and render employee pay awards and participate in selection of the Morris F. de Castro scholarship. Among these duties, GESC also serves ex officio as the Health Insurance Board of Trustees,” Francis said. As amended, Francis’ bill would put the appeals and complaint functions before PERB, merit pay awards to the Division of Personnel and leave the Morris F. de Castro Scholarship to the Department of Education.

When the Public Employee Relations Board was created in 1980, the law transferred many employee related functions to it and some of these GESC functions make more sense at PERB, he said.

“It makes sense to clean up the code especially when we have so many boards and commissions in the code that are either inactive or not performing their statutory responsibilities,” Francis said. (See: V.I. Overboard Part 2 – Lack of Quorum Stymies Many V.I. Bodies in Related Link below)

Testifiers agreed having an insurance broker on the board had advantages, but one cautioned it could hamper efforts to fill the commission and for it to make a quorum and act.

Division of Banking and Insurance Director Gwendolyn Hall Brady said the change would “reduce the Board’s extensive reliance on a paid consultant to review the technical terms of a proposal and a health insurance contract by allowing the broker or agent, as a Board Member, to also provide viewpoints on the same issue from an industry trained perspective, based upon years of direct awareness of health insurance issues impacting Virgin Islands residents,” among other advantages.

GESC Chair Beverly Joseph agreed but cautioned “it may impact at any given time, the ability to fill that particular vacancy.”

“As it exists now, there is nothing to prohibit the Governor from appointing an individual of that caliber to the Board,” she added.

Joseph also said there are only five members currently on the Board and in her time there she had “never known the Board to have more than six members – let alone a full complement of nine members.”

Voting yes on sending both bills out of committee to the Rules and Judiciary Committee were: Francis, Sens. Marvin Blyden (D-STT), Dwayne DeGraff (D-STT), Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly (D-STX), Sammuel Sanes (D-STX), Kurt Vialet (D-STX) and Janette Millin Young (D-STT).

Nine federal law enforcement officers received commissions as Virgin Islands Peace Officers Monday after attending an orientation on V.I. history and culture at the Police Training Academy on St. Thomas, Attorney General Claude Earl Walker announced.

Commissions were awarded to three agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, three from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and three from Homeland Security Investigations. They were the first federal agents to receive the commissions under a law enacted five years ago.

“Today, we have created a much closer bond with our federal law enforcement partners by granting them commissions to serve as Virgin Islands Peace Officers,” Walker said. “This is a historic day in the territory because this is the first time that commissions have been granted since the Legislature passed the law making this possible. The Legislature enacted a law granting such powers to federal law enforcement officers, provided that they attend orientation on V.I. culture and law conducted by the Attorney General’s office.”

The commissioned agents have authorization to enforce local criminal laws, including the power to make arrests for violation of V.I. laws, along with their federal police powers, Walker said.

The training was planned by Walker in conjunction with acting U.S. Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett and VIPD Commissioner Delroy Richards. Walker, Hewlett and St. Thomas-St. John Police Chief Jason Marsh were present at the orientation ceremony.

During the ceremony, Virgin Islands historian and cultural icon Glen “Kwabena” Davis highlighted significant aspects of Virgin Islands’ history and culture.

“We are a people who have made quite an impact on the world by virtue of the number of people who have passed through here,” Davis told the gathering, as he recited a chronology of events – which began circa 1200 up to the 1970s – that shaped the territory’s history and culture.

At the end of the orientation, Walker presented each federal officer with a commission and conveyed to them that Gov. Kenneth Mapp is very supportive of the initiative.

“It should not have taken so long for local police powers to be conferred upon you,” Walker said. “With these commissions, you now have full authority as Virgin Islands Peace Officers to go out and enforce Virgin Islands local laws. So, I encourage you to use this status to proactively fight crime in the territory.”

An act of the Virgin Islands Legislature enacted on Sept. 17, 2012, granted authority to the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department to issue commissions as Virgin Islands Peace Officers to certain federal law enforcement officers of certain federal agencies.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the V.I. Attorney General’s Office and the VIPD entered into a written memorandum of understanding on the procedures to be followed on the issuance and revocation of commissions and the respective rights and responsibilities of the parties. A federal law enforcement officer who is granted a commission is recognized and authorized to act as a Virgin Islands Peace Officer to enforce local laws, including the power to make arrests for violation of Virgin Islands laws. Any federal law enforcement officer granted a commission may use any reasonable force which the officer reasonably believes to be necessary to defend himself or another person from bodily harm, while making a lawful arrest.

A similar exercise is also being planned for federal officers in the St. Croix district, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

“We are near completion of plans to conduct a similar orientation very shortly in the district of St. Croix so that our federal law enforcement partners in that district may also receive peace officer status,” Walker said.

Angelique Flemming Crowned Miss University of the Virgin Islands 2017-2018 Angelique Flemming was crowned Miss University of the Virgin Islands 2017-2018 at the 37^th Annual Miss UVI Ambassadorial Competition held Saturday, April 8, at the St. Croix Educational Complex on St. Croix.

 Flemming, 19, is a sophomore psychology major.  She was born on St. Croix and is attending UVI on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix.

At Saturday’s competition, Shantee Sookraj was named first runner-up and Nigencia James awarded second runner-up. 

In addition to the UVI crown, Flemming won Best Ambassadorial Presentation and Best Performing Talent. Shantee Sookrajwas was named Miss Photogenic, Miss Popularity, Most Eloquent/Intellectual Speaker and Miss Congeniality. Best evening wear was awarded to Alexandra Abi-Mikhael.

For more information, contact Hedda Finch Simpson at 642-4228.

Community Invited to 2nd Annual UVI Village on April 13 The Student Government Association (SGA) is excited to host its second annual UVI Village at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, in the Sports and Fitness Center front parking lot on the St. Thomas Campus. 

At 2 p.m. the event will be open to the public with a student pride parade at the University’s entrance that leads to the Sports and Fitness Center. The Village will open to all.

Music will be provided by Spectrum Band, The Venomous Poizon Band and a special guest DJ.

The Student Government Association invites the public to come out and enjoy the free musical entertainment, and fun games. Lots of great food will also be on sale.

For more information, contact the Leon Lafond at 693-1111.

UVI Community Invited to Sexual Assault Prevention- ‘Engaging New Voices’ Join the University community at 2:30 p.m. March/Presentation on Tuesday, April 11, in the Pavilion on the Albert A. Sheen Campus for the ‘Engaging New Voices’ March and Presentation. Sponsored by Counseling and Career Services and the VI Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Council (DVSAC) this march and presentation will promote awareness regarding healthy relationships and prevention of sexual misconduct. There will also be a short march through the campus.  A speaker presentation and refreshments to follow at the Pavilion.

For more information contact Patricia Towal Counseling and Career Services, at ptowal@uvi.edu 692-4187.

2017 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey Being Administered to All UVI Students The Office of Institutional Research and Planning announces the administration of the 2017 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) Survey beginning the week of April 4 through April 25.

UVI has teamed up with Noel-Levitz to administer the SSI Survey, which evaluates student satisfaction and the importance of campus issues to students. UVI will benefit from the consulting and data services provided by the Noel-Levitz team to help identify the areas where UVI will need to focus, especially in the areas of student retention and improvement of enrollment goals. Student involvement, as well as involvement of the UVI community, is critical to the success of this project, and all UVI students are encouraged to complete the survey. Every UVI student will receive an e-mail containing a link to the online survey and instructions on how to complete the survey. Completing the Noel-Levitz SSI Survey is strictly voluntary, and a student’s decision to participate or not will have no effect on their grades. The last administration of the survey was in March 2014.

Results of the 2014 survey are available at UVI’s Institutional Research and Planning, Surveys and Reports page under Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey.

To learn more about the survey, visit the Noel-Levitz Web site at http://www.noellevitz.com or please contact Institutional Research and Planning at 693-1012.

Poetic Shout Out: Poetry and Music in Motion SET FOR April 12 Poems and presentations on African American Culture and music will be held from noon – 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, in the Library on the 2nd Floor in the Library in the Evans Center. Please bring your poems to be shared. This event is open to all and is sponsored by the library in commemoration of National Library Week.

For more information, contact MJ Wilder for further information at 626-1313

UVI Holds Annual Service Awards on the 18 and 20 of April The Human Resources Department is having its 43rd Annual Service Awards on April 18 and April 20 on the St. Thomas Campus and the Albert A. Sheen Campus, respectively.  Join the Human Resources staff as they recognize employees during the 43rd Service Awards Ceremony. This year’s theme: “Resilient & Keen.”

The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. in the Sports and Fitness Center on April 18 on the St. Thomas Campus. The awards ceremony on the Campus will follow at 2 p.m. in the Great Hall. A light Fare-Buffet will follow the ceremonies.

For more information, contact the Human Resources Department at 692-1410.

VI-EPSCoR 2017 Annual Conference Set for April 6 The Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR) is has announced its 2017 annual conference from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, in the Administration and Conference Center Building, Room 142, at the University of the Virgin Islands’ St. Thomas Campus.

The community is invited to participate in this conference. This year’s theme is “Transforming Research into Economic Development.” The conference will be a conversation on the research, outreach and educational activities that have been facilitated in the territory through VI-EPSCoR’s support and partnerships under the Mare Nostrum Caribbean Grant. This will give the community a unique opportunity to learn in greater detail about several of our Mare Nostrum-related activities and to meet with our researchers, partners and potential partners.

          For more information. contact Joey DeMarco, outreach coordinator, at 693-1478 or by e-mail at joseph.demarco@uvi.edu

Spring 2017 MBA Comprehensive Exam to be held on April 7 The School of Business Spring 2017 MBA Comprehensive Exam is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fri., April 7. The exam will be administrated simultaneously on both the St. Thomas Campus in B206 and the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix in EVC 303. The deadline to submit an application petition is Thursday, March 30.

          For more information, contact Utha Williams at uwillia@uvi.edu

 Community Invited to Annual Career Fair on St. Croix on April 5-10 Join us for the annual Career Fair on the Albert A. Sheen Campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, in the Great Hall. Meet potential employers and explore many career pathways. Start preparing for after graduation now. Also, there will be a workshop outlining how to maximize your opportunities at a career fair on March 29. More details will follow. Community members are also welcome.

          For more information, contact Patricia Towal at 692-4187 or at ptowal@uvi.edu

VIUCEDD Host Its 10th Annual Autism Conference The Virgin Islands University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) is hosting its 10th Annual Autism Conference on Monday, April 10, on St. Croix in the Great Hall at the University of the Virgin Islands Albert A. Sheen Campus.  On St. Thomas, Wednesday, April 12, in the Administration and Conference Center (ACC) at the University of the Virgin Islands Campus. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on both islands.

          The conference is designed to bring awareness to autism and give parents and professional best practices and access to resources when dealing with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Virgin Islands. The keynote presentation will be “Autism Services in the Virgin Islands: Where We Came From and Where We Are Headed” by Dr. Lindsy Wagner, PsyD of Island Therapy Solution. Additionally, there will be two break-out session topics; “Applications of Applied Behavioral Analysis Across the Lifespan” by Dr. Adriane Maier, BCBA-D and Megan Crowley, MSEd, BCBA, LABA of Island Therapy Solutions, as well as “Advancing the Social-communication and Play of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” by Dr. Brian A. Boyd, Ph.D., MEd from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

          Registration is available online by visiting http://www.eventbrite.com. To register visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/viucedd-11380188567

VICCC to Hosts Centennial Intergenerational Symposium – April 10 Monday, April 10 from 4-6:30 p.m. in the UVI Research and Technology Park (RTP) on Albert A. Sheen Campus, the Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center (VICCC) at UVI with support from the Virgin Islands Transfer Centennial Commission (VITCC) presents the Centennial Intergenerational Symposium (CIS) on UVI Students’ Perspectives 2017-2117.  UVI students are facilitating the CIS inclusive of insightful discussions on the Virgin Islands through interactive conversations on the VI Centennial period. 

          Discussion topics include and are not limited to: What is Virgin Islands Transfer Day: Commemoration Celebration or What?  Where and which flags are to be flown at VI public buildings?  What future status and vision do you have for the VI after the Centennial events? The evening will open with exhibitions of winning entries of student essays and artwork from the CIS competition.  Our UVI and VI communities Invite you to join us for this UVI student-facilitated intergenerational and community centered event.   Please come ready to share your thoughts, perspectives and solutions. A reception will close this event.

          Please RSVP by calling Chenzira Kahina at 692-4283 or 692-4272 or e-mail at viccc@live.uvi.edu.

NSF $300,000 SEAS Your Tomorrow Grant to Educate VI Youth for Careers in STEM  The University of the Virgin Islands-led project, “Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists (SEAS) Your Tomorrow,” was chosen out of 36 grants distributed across the country to be featured in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES): Envisioning Impact Video Showcase.  UVI, along with Pennsylvania State University, Southern Utah University and local partners, was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from NSF to encourage more students in the U.S. Virgin Islands to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). 

The NSF INCLUDES: Envisioning Impact Program (http://includes2017.videohall.com/) aims to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by creating more pathways through which young people can join the STEM fields.  A video showcase will be hosted online from March 20 – 27.  To view and comment on the SEAS Your Tomorrow video, which focuses on known drop-out points for students in science, visit http://videohall.com/p/826.  During this week, visitors to the site will be able to offer their thoughts and feedback about the project.

“This is a high impact project, and it is exciting that it is being featured on the national stage,” said Kristin Wilson Grimes, principal investigator and assistant professor of Watershed Ecology at UVI.  “Not only is the project taking place here in the Virgin Islands, but it also involves the ocean sciences, which are so vital to this community.  SEAS Your Tomorrow will create educational opportunities for VI youth, which will open pathways to careers in the ocean sciences.”

SEAS Your Tomorrow is funded by the NSF INCLUDES Program, which provides two years of support for projects that describe new ideas, create targeted initiatives, and forge new models that will improve access to STEM for underserved populations.  It provides Virgin Islands middle school, high school, early undergraduate and graduate students with support and unique opportunities to pursue their interests in the ocean sciences.  The project also builds partnerships between universities, government agencies, non-profit organizations, local businesses and professional societies to maximize the impact of targeted activities.

For more information about SEAS Your Tomorrow, visit http://www.seasyourtomorrow.org/ or contact Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes at Kristin.wilson@uvi.edu.

UVI Students Urged to Apply for Summer Internship Opportunity to attend the College of Micronesia The Agricultural Experiment Station has funding to support one UVI student to attend a summer internship at the College of Micronesia in the Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM) on Pohnpei (http://www.comfsm.fm/). The summer internship will be from June 8 to 27, excluding the travel dates that will be an additional two to three days before and after the program.

          The student should be interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, food sciences, environment and natural resources or biology related sciences, but this is not required. There will be a combination of classroom and field experience in the various agriculture sectors within private and public sectors. All classes and materials will be offered in English, giving students the information they need to have a written report and an oral presentation completed, required by the end of the internship.

          Funds will cover round trip travel to Pohnpei from the USVI, a per diem, housing and any other fees required by COM-FSM. Additional funds for supplies may also be provided if needed.

          The goal is to provide an experience in tropical agriculture to students from member institutions of CariPac Consortium, which include the University of the Virgin Islands, University of Puerto Rico, University of Guam, Community College of American Samoa, Northern Marianas College and College of Micronesia (Pohnpei, Marshal Islands and Palau)).

Application Procedure and Deadline:

          By April 12, interested students should be nominated by a faculty member and the student should send a letter of interest and explain how this opportunity would benefit their academic career to Dr. Bob Godfrey, director AES and professor of Animal Science, at rgodfre@uvi.edu. After reviewing students submitted letters a decision will be made as to which UVI student will travel to Micronesia and more information on the internship will be provided. For more information contact Dr. Robert Godfrey at rgodfre@uvi.edu. 

          For more information on the conference call (340) 692-4266 (STX) or (340) 693-1406 (STT) or send an email to shamika.thomas@uvi.edu.

Navigating the VI’s Cultural, Economic, and Political Spaces Symposium to be Held on April 8 UVI will host the “Navigating the VI’s Cultural, Economic, and Political Spaces Symposium” which will be held on April 8. The purpose of this symposium is to provide an opportunity to consider the identity of the Virgin Islands of the United States, from various platforms and positions, as we conclude the 100th year since the transfer of ownership from Denmark to the United States of America.

          A registration fee of $25 will be requested from faculty and the general public. However, students only have to show their student I.D. to not be charged.

          Researchers, scholars, and community activists are invited to present talks and papers that examine the topic of identity, in and of the Virgin Islands, across multiple perspectives, including sociological, psychological, economic, fine and performance art, literary and political.

          For more information contact Dr. Dara Hamilton at (340) 692-4123 or email: dhamilt@uvi.edu.

1. I. Academic and Cultural Awards Endowment Scholarship/Loan Opportunity Now Available The Board of Directors of the Virgin Islands Academic and Cultural Awards Endowment (VIACAE) Program is accepting applications for its territorial scholarship program.  Virgin Islands residents pursuing graduate studies or cultural projects, are encouraged to apply for this scholarship. Applicants seeking graduatedegrees to teach in the Virgin Islands at the secondary level, particularly in areas of mathematics and science, are especially encouraged to apply. 

          The VIACAE program was created by the Virgin Islands Legislature in 1970.  It provides financial support to eligible VI residents with a desire to advance their academic and professional studies, and also to those with a desire to engage in Cultural Projects that will provide significant benefit to the people of the Virgin Islands. 

          For more information and links to scholarship applications see this link http://www.uvi.edu/administration/provost/initiatives/viacae.aspx. The application deadline is Friday, April 28. 

          For more information contact Mavis Gilchrist in the Office of the Provost at 692-4285 or by e-mail at mgilchr@uvi.edu.

Attention 2017 Graduates- Report to AAS Campus Bookstore for Cap and Gown Order UVI 2017 graduates are asked to submit their cap and gown measurements to the Albert A. Sheen Campus Bookstore by Friday, March 24. Any orders placed after that day will incur a $75 express shipping fee. Anticipated arrival is the first week of May 2017. An email notification will be sent when Commencement Regalia arrive at the bookstore.

          For more information, visit Shay Roberts at shanta.robert@uvi.edu.

• Attorney Genevieve Whitaker- deputy supervisor of the Election System- St. Croix District
• Albert Bryan Jr. — entrepreneur, executive director of Junior Achievement USVI and Former Virgin Island Department of Labor Commissioner
• Senator Kurt Vialet — former mathematics teacher, assistant principal, senator in 31st and 32nd Legislatures of the Virgin Islands

          For more information, contact Golden Key Advisor Patricia Towal at 692-4187 or via e-mail at PTowal@uvi.edu.        

TEAS Testing Scheduled for Spring 2017 Semester The University of the Virgin Islands is pleased to announce testing dates for the TEAS exam.  The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is used as part of the admissions process by Nursing and Allied Health schools nationwide.  UVI students who desire to enter the School of Nursing are required to sit for the TEAS exam.  The TEAS exam is a basic aptitude test designed to identify students who are likely to succeed in nursing school and have the ability to think like a nurse.  It is a multiple-choice assessment of basic academic knowledge in Reading, Mathematics, Science and English.  The four sections are timed for a total of approximately 4 hours. 

Testing Centers are located at the UVICELL Center on their respective islands.  On St. Croix, the UVICELL Center is located at 23A Hospital Street, Frederiksted.  On St. Thomas, the testing site is located at the UVICELL Center on the UVI St. Thomas Campus. 

The testing schedule is as follows:

St. Croix

• 12:45 p.m. – Saturday, March 25, 2017

St. Thomas

• 9:30 a.m. – Wednesday, February 22, 2017
• 9:30 a.m. – Thursday, March 30, 2017
• 9:30 a.m. – Thursday, April 20, 2017

For testing fees or more information on the exam, contact the UVICELL Center at 693-1100 on St. Thomas or at 692-4230 on St. Croix.  Students may also visit the UVICELL Web site at http://cell.uvi.edu/programs/teas-testing.aspx.    

Edith Agatha Paris

Edith Agatha Paris died on Wednesday, March 29, at Queen Louis Home on St. Thomas. She was 86 years old.

She is preceded in death by her daughter, Sonia Hodge; sisters: Martha, Mary and Dora Hodge; brothers: Milton and Leonard Hodge; grandchild, Hasheem Ford; and great-grandchildren: Darnell Paris and Darrell Paris.

Edith A. Paris is survived by her sons: Charlie Hodge, Clyde Paris, Terrance Paris and Dwedeny Paris; daughters: Ermine Hodge-Bell and Charen Paris; sisters: Iris Hobson, Yvonne Hodge, Sylvia Hodge-Brunswick and Maysie Hensley; brother, Basil Hodge; grandchildren: Diana Huggins, Elise Lewis, Alicia Paris, Jermaine Paris, Zaykeese  Pant, Pamela Robinson, Desmond Hodge, Anthony Robinson, Nicole Bynum, NatashaHewlett, Dameon Walwyn, Mellynda Duggins, Rachida Maynard and Dwayne Paris; great-grandchildren: Akeem Paris, Jovanty Paris, Trevaughn Huggins, Deborah Huggins, Tirana Walters, Dequan Walters, Katana Walters, Shannon Lewis, Rhajeem Lewis and Zahaieda Lewis; and many other family and friends too numerous to mention.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the first viewing from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, April 18, at the Celestial Chapel of Hurley Funeral Home. The second viewing will take place at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 19, at Christ Church Methodist. Interment will be at Eastern Cemetery, Smith Bay.

Arrangements are under the care of Hurley Funeral Home and Cremation Center of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Tortola.

For directions and online condolences, please visit us at www.hurleydavisfuneral home.com

Naw Ruz baby with balloon

The Baha’is of the Virgin Islands brought in the Baha’i New Year with prayers and festivities on March 19.  Their New Year parties also brought an end to their 19-day period of fasting and spiritual renewal.

The Baha’i calendar is based on a solar calendar of 19 months and 19 days. The four or five days remaining make up the 365 days of the Gregorian calendar. These days are used for “Intercalary Days,” which is a time of hospitality and gift-giving used to prepare for the last month of the Baha’i year, which is for fasting. The Baha’i calendar was inaugurated in 1844 with the declaration of The Bab, the forerunner of the Baha’i Faith. 

The New Year is the first of nine Baha’i holy days held throughout the year.  It began the year 174 B.E. and is significant as Baha’is all over the world are eagerly anticipating the 200th anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah, the Promised One of all ages, on Sunday, Oct. 22.  This historic occasion is immediately preceded by the celebration of the Birth of The Bab on Oct. 21.  (Bahá’í dates begin at sunset, so celebrations may be held from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon).

Also in April, the Baha’is celebrate the King of Festivals, Ridvan, when Baha’u’llah announced His mission. It will be celebrated on Monday, April 20, the First Day; Friday, April 28, the Ninth Day; and Monday, May 1, the Twelfth Day. The public is invited and welcome to any Baha’i holy days.

For more information on the Baha’i Faith and local activities including study circles, devotional meetings, junior youth groups and children’s classes in Christiansted, call 277-8470; in Frederiksted, call 772-3827; on St. John, call 714-1641; and on St. Thomas, call 643-5059.

Angela Berry is Top Angler

The catch of a 34.06-pound dolphin fish (mahi-mahi) earned St. Thomas’ Angela Berry the title Top Angler and a $1,000 cash prize at the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s 22^nd Annual Dolphin Derby held April 9.

Fishing aboard the St. Thomas-based 45’ Wilbur Sportfish, Family Ties, with Captain Colin Butler at the helm, Berry caught her winning fish off the north coast of the island.

“We put lines in the water just after 6:30 a.m.,” said Butler. “Most of the fish were caught early after seeing frigate birds circling around overhead. Then, there was a lull. The big ones came in the afternoon. They were blind strikes while trolling.”

Berry said she could tell her dolphin fish was big by its bite and fight.

“It wasn’t like the smaller fish in the morning; it fought much harder,” said Berry, who says the secret to her success was a great captain and crew. “The best part is definitely the camaraderie.”

Dolphin Derby 2017

Berry’s first place fish was about 21-pounds shy of the 55-plus-pound criteria to win the tournament’s ultimate prize of $25,000 in cash. However, the whopper also landed her the Top Female prize. Additionally, a 23.48-pounder scored Berry the 10^th largest dolphin and ultimately handed her a trio of awards.

Cash prizes were awarded to anglers catching the 10 largest dolphin.

Adam Maschrzak on World Class landed a 33.51-pound dolphin for second largest, while Jennifer Tyler, also fishing from World Class, took third with a 32.63-pounder. At 32.41-pounds, it was John Raffa on Family Ties, that caught the fourth largest dolphin, while Tamika Turbe, angling off Emanuel, reeled in the fifth largest dolphin, a 31.97-pounder. John Clark, also aboard Emanuel, scored both the sixth, eighth and ninth largest dolphin, weighing in at 27.67-, 24.14- and 24.00-pounds, respectively. Finally, it was the 26.9-pound dolphin Kelsey Thomas, on Dogsled, brought to the scales that earned seventh largest.

Eleven-year-old Fairley Maltby aboard Doubleheader, won Best Junior Angler with the catch of an 18.41-pound dolphin.

This year, new rules created an opportunity for both professional and recreational sports fishermen to win prizes by registering as either a professional or amateur. Plus, to even the playing field, each boat was limited to weighing-in their 10 largest fish, even if they caught more. The main goal is to have fun and give everyone an opportunity to win.

The Best Amateur Angler prize went to Mike Holt, who caught a 19.73-pound dolphin from his boat, Southern Cross.

“I think adding an amateur category is a good move for the club,” said Holt. “It gives fishermen who don’t go out every day a chance to win and I think we’ll see even more participation.”

The Best Boat award went to Emanuel, with the top collective catch weight of 184.49-pounds of dolphin. This is a repeat feat that the Emanuel team won most recently in the 2013, 2014 and 2016 Dolphin Derby. Capt. Alvin Turbe, Tamika Turbe, Gilbert Laban, Gerald Greaux Jr. and John Clark were the anglers aboard Emanuel, which is a St. Thomas-based charter sports fishing boat.

Seventeen boats and 67 anglers, including four junior anglers, collectively weighed-in with 544.64-pounds of dolphin. This conservation-oriented tournament discouraged the catch of dolphin that weighed less than 10-pounds.  

Several boats donated fish to the host Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club, where this was the featured entrée at the Awards Dinner held April 10.

The Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club appreciates the sponsorship of Budget Car and Truck Rental and Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits.

The Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s next event is the Anegada Tournament, set for May 27 to 29. That will be followed by the 54rd Annual July Open Billfish Tournament, set for July 6 to 8. For more information, call 775-9144, E-mail: usvigfc@gmail.com or visit www.vigfc.com

A former government employee who pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to defraud the government through a property auction has been barred from engaging in any future public auctions for five years, the Office of the Attorney General announced.

Attorney General Claude Earl Walker on Tuesday settled a civil claim against Calford Charleswell, who admitted to his role in the conspiracy. As part of the settlement, Charleswell, 51, of Anna’s Retreat, has agreed “to refrain from personally participating or associating with any real estate, agent, broker or other person for purposes of participating in any property auction conducted by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Office of the Tax Assessor for a period of five years.”

Walker said his office took this action to prevent any recurrence of similar misconduct.

“This is part of restoring public confidence in these property auctions conducted by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office by prohibiting specific persons who have been involved in the past and are guilty of wrongdoing pertaining to the auction,” Walker said. “This is particularly relevant in light of the Lieutenant Governor’s office upcoming property auctions.”

Charleswell was arrested Nov. 19, 2015, following an investigation by Nicholas Peru, special investigator in the office of the Inspector General. He was released from custody after posting bail.

Four men –Charleswell, Sylvester Warner, Paul Sabers and Edward McKenzie – were taken into custody and charged in connection with the public auction scheme. On Feb. 8, Charleswell, who faced 14 charges stemming from the incident, admitted his wrongdoing and pleaded guilty to the single count of conspiracy.

Warner, 43, of Estate St. Peter, also pleaded to a single charge of conspiracy at a change-of-plea hearing on Feb. 3. On March 31, McKenzie, 61, pleaded guilty to the single charge of compounding a crime and was sentenced to a suspended jail term of 90 days, supervised probation for one year and 100 hours of community service.

“In addition, DOJ has settled its civil CICO claims against McKenzie, whereby he has paid $100,000 dollars to the Government of the Virgin Islands, and is barred from personally participating or associating with any real estate, agent, broker or other person for purposes of participating in any real property auction conducted by the Office of the Tax Assessor,” Walker had said in an earlier release.

According to the affidavit filed by Peru in support of the arrests, a property auction was conducted on Aug. 30, 2012. One of the properties being auctioned was 97 Estate Frydenhoj, on which the opening bid was placed at $6,442.28. The first bidder offered $75,000, a second person bid $42,000 and the third bid was $10,100; however, the bidder tracking sheet prepared by Charleswell showed that there were only two bidders on the property, according to Peru.

An unwritten policy developed by officials in 2012 required that the three highest bidders be recorded in the event that the highest bidder failed to meet the 10 percent deposit amount, but the day after the auction, the winning bidder did not make the required deposit and the second highest bidder should have been contacted, Peru wrote.

On Sept. 4, 2012, a deposit of $2,000 was paid on a bid that was not noted on the record and on Oct. 11, 2012, a man paid the balance of $8,000 on the Estate Frydenhoj property and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor transferred the property to that man for $10,000. Then, on Sept. 25, 2013, the man transferred the same property to another man, according to Peru.

A woman whose name appeared on the bidder tracking sheet told Peru that she accompanied Warner to the auction and he completed the registration form using her name but used his address. She said Warner bid on the Frydenhoj property and told her that he was bidding for a friend. On the day of the auction, Warner bid on three other properties, and although he was the highest bidder, he failed to pay deposits or take any of the properties, according to Peru.

The investigation revealed that certain procedural changes made by officials at the Office of the Lieutenant Governor allowed individuals to fraudulently manipulate the bidding process in a scheme in which the highest bidder purposefully makes a substantially inflated high bid, then fails to post the 10 percent deposit so that the property would go to another bidder or individual for a substantially lower price, Peru wrote.

This manipulation prevented potential bidders from successfully making fair and legitimate bids on properties offered at public auctions and potentially reduced the likelihood of the property owner recouping any excess proceeds from the sale after taxes and fees are paid, according to Peru.

The V.I. Department of Labor (VIDOL) invites employers, not for-profit organizations and training service providers to participate in this year’s Summer Youth Work Experience and Training Program through the VIDOL. Labor is seeking the following, according to Commissioner of Labor Catherine A. Hendry Esq.

• Employers and agencies that are interested in providing a six-week work experience and job training activities for youth, ages 16-24
• Service providers and organizations interested in providing life skills and career exploration activities for young people, ages 14-15. Programs should run for no more than four weeks. Mini-grants of up to $4,800 are available for qualified providers.

Interested employers and organizations can obtain a “Request for Summer Youth Work Experience Program Participation” and “Summer Youth Workshop Application” by contacting DOL offices on St. Thomas at 776-3700, ext. 2080 or on St Croix at 773-1994, ext. 2140 or by visiting www.vidol.gov (under the forms tab).  Applications can also be picked up at DOL St. Thomas and St. Croix locations. The deadline to apply is May 19. 

The Economic Development Park Corporation (EDPC), a subsidiary of the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (USEDA), will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 12, at the William D. Roebuck Industrial Park, No. 4 Negro Bay, Building No. 2, Frederiksted, St. Croix; there will be seen via video conference feed to the USVIEDA office at 8000 Nisky Shopping Center, 2nd floor., Suite No. 620, St. Thomas. The EDPC meeting will be held to conduct lease reviews.

The Board of Directors may go into executive session with respect to any decision at any time during the meetings as provided by V.I. law.

For more information, contact the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority or the Economic Development Park Corporation at 714-1700 on St. Thomas or at 719-2037 on St. Croix.

The Division of Personnel informs candidates, GVI employees and retirees that the upcoming GESC/Health Insurance candidate forum has been rescheduled. The new date has been set for 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at the Division of Personnel office in both districts.

Subsequently, the upcoming Group Health Insurance Program (GESC) Health Insurance Board elections have been rescheduled, as well. The election will now be held beginning at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 10 through noon on Thursday, May 11.

Director Milton E. Potter said, “This is an opportunity for all active government employees and retirees covered by the Group Health Insurance Program to actively participate in the elections of persons to represent their interest on the GESC/Health Insurance Board. Everyone is invited to visit the Division of Personnel’s Web site at www.dopusvi.org, to view the profiles of the candidates and participate in all aspects of this very important process.”

For additional information, contact Maureen Venzen, chief of Group Health Insurance at the Division of Personnel, at 774-8588, ext. 5132.

The Virgin Islands Police Department advises the public that Hospital Gade (the road directly outside the Police Station) is closed to all south bound traffic until the end of the 65th Carnival Celebration.

This is due to the closure of the Fort Christian parking lot for the Carnival Village.

VIPD will make the necessary announcements when the road re-opens for travel.

The Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas will hold its annual meeting at 10 a.m., Sunday, April 23, at Lilienfeld House.  Come gather with friends to cast your ballots for officers and members of the Board of Representatives and to discuss issues that will make the Congregation more responsive to the needs of all its members and the community.

The by-laws require a quorum of at least 25 members in good standing to conduct business at the meeting.  So please make every effort to attend.  Input from all of you is vital to an ability to meet the needs of the Congregation. A dairy brunch will be served.

The West Indian Company will see its payment in lieu of taxes go down from $700,000 per year to $250,000 per year, all of which will be used to maintain and operate the historic Estate Catherineberg structure as a museum, if a measure OK’d Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee is approved by the Senate.

As a result of the proposed law, WICO’s net contribution to tax coffers would be zero, and the historic structure would become general government property and, if all goes well, a museum.

WICO operates and maintains the territory’s largest cruise ship port, the WICO dock, and also manages the adjacent Havensight Mall, which is owned by the Government Employee Retirement System. Set up in the form of a corporation, WICO is wholly owned by the Public Finance Authority, a V.I. government agency. Hence, it and all of its assets are ultimately owned by the government.

WICO has long paid a set fee – a payment in lieu of taxes, of $700,000 per year – instead of paying corporate income tax, property tax or gross receipts taxes. Up until 2006, WICO paid its PILOT in full, but since then has made partial or token payments. It has fallen millions of dollars behind in its payments and currently owes $6.65 million.

During budget hearings in 2016, Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boschulte asked senators to consider reducing the PILOT, saying it was too high in light of reduced WICO ship calls and direct competition for ships by docks run by the V.I. Port Authority, a semi-autonomous government agency that runs the territory’s airports and oversees and in some cases directly operates its seaports.

From 2003 to 2006, WICO averaged more than 1.65 million passengers annually, Boschulte told senators. But then, the VIPA-owned Austin “Babe” Monsanto facility opened in Crown Bay, and two major cruise lines were given lower fees than at WICO in exchange for long-term berthing agreements, he said.

Then the travel industry was hit by the world-wide recession of 2008.

Between 2007 and 2014, WICO averaged slightly more than 1.2 million passengers, a reduction of more than 450,000 passengers, or 27 percent, annually, he said.

“This translated into $2.5 million in lost marine revenue to WICO per year. As a result, since the opening of the Monsanto Pier in 2006 and the attendant erosion in revenues, WICO has been unable to meet its annual PILOT obligation,” Boschulte said during budget hearings.

The Estate Catherineberg building was constructed by 1831. The Danes considered it for a governor’s residence, but decided instead to rebuild the existing Government House, starting in 1864. WICO, then a private company, purchased the property in 1917.

The government purchased WICO in 1993. At that time, WICO began renting the historic former Danish consulate to the government for $1 a year, ostensibly as a residence for the V.I. governor. Federal law declares Government House on St. Thomas the official residence of the governor. Gov. Charles Turnbull resided at Catherineberg for a short time and is the only governor to have done so. While it is an important historic structure, built in 1831, it remains musty and unsuitable for family life or entertaining.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Janette Millin Young (D-STT) and Kurt Vialet (D-STX), authorized the government to buy the property and offset the cost from the past-due PILOT payments. As amended, the bill would require WICO to pay the costs of making the structure into a museum. All of the reduced PILOT payments would go to maintain the museum.

Voting to send the measure to the Rules and Judiciary Committee were: Vialet, Sens. Marvin Blyden (D-STT,) Dwayne DeGraff (D-STT,) Neville James (D-STX,) Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly (D-STX,) Tregenza Roach (D-STT) and Brian Smith (D-At-Large). All members were present.

“Wild Nights: How Taming Sleep Created Our Restless World,” by Benjamin Reiss. © 2017, Basic Books, $28.00 / $36.50 Canada, 320 pages

‘Wild Nights,’ by Benjamin Reiss

Covers on. Covers off.

That was you all last night: too hot, not warm enough. The pillow was hard, the mattress was soft, the neighbors were loud, the room was stuffy, you were thirsty, and something was tickling the back of your neck. You couldn’t sleep, maybe due to insomnia.

Or maybe you were just following your ancestors, and in “Wild Nights” by Benjamin Reiss, you’ll see how.

Eight hours.

In a perfect world, that’s how much sleep you’d get every single night, uninterrupted, though that it never happens that way. Instead, you toss, turn, and spend the entire next day feeling as if you’re on the set of “The Walking Dead.”

No worries: that sleep-awake cycle you’ve got there might be perfectly normal.

Some 200 years ago, it would’ve been, for sure. Back when folks had less-defined time, before noisy neighbors, electricity, alarm clocks, and factories, people kept hours with the sun, slumbering and rising with natural light. It was common then to have a two-cycle sleep pattern broken up by an hour or so of gentle wakefulness and, because sleep was more of a social thing, it was common for entire families to sleep together.

Though you can still find places in the world where it’s good hospitality to share beds with guests, in the 19th century, missionaries spread across the globe and made it shameful to slumber without privacy. By the earliest part of the 20th century, and surely by the time electricity reached most households, the majority of First World citizens slept alone or in coupled pairs, in rooms specifically meant for sleeping. That included children, who were taught to sleep separately in a room away from their parents.

And as if civilization didn’t affect sleep-wake patterns enough, well, 24/7 entertainment, shift-work, better hygiene, electronics, and widespread availability of coffee sure don’t help any.

Therefore, it’s advisable, says Reiss, to wake up to this “global weirding of sleep” and recognize that further changes could be more than just a dream.

The alarm went off awfully early this morning. And yesterday morning. And every day last week, but why? The reason may be inside Reiss’s book.

And then again, it may not: readers searching for sleep-advice will go away frustrated, because “Wild Nights” isn’t that kind of book. Instead, Reiss explains how biology and conditioning make us sleep as we do. Readers get a glimpse of classic literature’s examination of the subject, how slavemasters used sleep to control slave – and how that led to a stereotype, why it’s so hard to get kids to go to bed, and what a few z’s might look like in the future. That’s great for anyone with wide-eyed curiosity, while a blanket full of comfort-through-research will help those who are wide awake.

Terri Schlichenmeyer

Don’t take this book to bed with you. It’s too much fun, a lot of fascination, and it might just keep you up

all night, reading. You’ll like it because, when it comes to learning about the big snooze, “Wild Nights” has you covered.

—
The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. Her self-syndicated book reviews appear in more than 260 newspapers.

These are an outside observer’s comments on the Source’s Bill Kossler’s exceptional reporting on the Virgin Islands budget crisis which began running in the Source this week.

V.I. Budget Crisis: How Did We Get Here and How Do We Get Out?

Frank Schneiger

As a general rule, when you see things from a distance, they always seem simple. You feel comfortable telling “them” what they “should” do.

For some 40 years, I have thought about the problems and challenges facing the Virgin Islands, and they have never seemed simple. For a variety of reasons, they are as complex and difficult as any that I have seen. For starters, decision makers in the Virgin Islands are never operating at the 37,000-foot cruising altitude, the altitude at which you rarely see the consequences of your decisions. In the Virgin Islands, you see the consequences of those decisions the same day, and they affect people that you know.

Then, there is always the tendency to view these issues in the context of good and evil; inevitably followed by figuring out “who is to blame,” rather than saying, “Here is the problem we face, what are our choices, and what is the best choice?”

Except, and here is the big rub, that there is no “best choice.” There is only the least worst choice, so that, whatever you decide, people are going to suffer.

And whoever decides is going to be pilloried for making that least worst choice. Ask former Governor DeJongh or Governor Mapp. To paraphrase the famous slogan, giving things out has a thousand fathers. Taking them away is an orphan.

When there are only bad choices, two things almost invariably happen. First, there is a search for gimmicks and quick fixes. Not necessarily a bad approach, since if things turn around, you have spared people a lot of pain by not taking more forceful action. The second thing, which is always bad, is that those with responsibility tend to head for the exits when decisions involve bad news, especially when it is bad news for some core constituency.

So, to take one step back from the Source’s reporting, here is a front-end question. Are there some fundamental ground rules for dealing with a crisis of this type? I believe that there are. Here are four important ones.

• Rule 1: Forget about “who is to blame” or even about “there is plenty of blame to go around.” As soon as you start talking about blame, divisions deepen at a time when there is a need for solidarity, and the discussion is always about the past, rather than where we go in the future.

This should be a pretty straightforward process: What are the problems? What are our choices? What are the criteria for making the right choices? What are the best, that is, least worst, choices? How do we communicate those choices to the communities that make up the Virgin Islands?

• Rule 2: Get the right people in the room. Who decides? Who can make decisions stick? Who are the responsible people willing to make difficult decisions that may be unpopular with some constituent group?

Not an easy one in the Virgin Islands. Answer those three questions and you have a pretty small group of decision makers. And, there is the flip side to getting the right people in the room: keep the wrong people out of the room. Not such a small group.

While all of the key “stakeholders” should be represented in that room, this is not a democratic process. While fairness and equity are important criteria, this is not just a question of dividing up a shrinking pie. If the people in that room cannot see beyond their narrow interest, they shouldn’t be there.

• Rule 3: Deal with reality. Part of that reality is to accept the notions of bad luck (Hovensa and recession) and the many things that are beyond the territory’s control (Hovensa, recession, federal government). “What ifs” need to be grounded in reality rather than based on unrealistic expectations and delusions. There should be no “alternative facts.” Nor should decision-makers succumb to the “shrinking violet” syndrome where they claim powerlessness and retreat into self-pity.

In the Virgin Islands, the biggest and most complicated reality is the degree to which the territory’s economy is driven by government spending. In this sense, the territory is a socialist society, more like France than the United States. You can argue whether that is good or bad, but the notion that you can “cut your way out” of the budget crisis is wrong, and is almost certain to lead from a “budget crisis” to a “social crisis.” This reality is at the heart of the complexity of the territory’s situation.

• Rule 4: Keep outsiders as far away as possible from the decision-making process. This is not going to be easy, and may not be possible as the crisis deepens. This rule is more relevant today because of the nature of the government in Washington. Even the theoretically liberal Obama administration imposed draconian solutions, all devised by outsiders, on Puerto Rico. The thought of what the current administration and its agents would do is enough to give you chills.

Finally, anyone who has read this far will have noticed that there are no substantive recommendations. That will be the hard part. But even adopting these rules will not be simple. Based on experience in similar situations, these rules are the front-end prerequisites to finding the best possible, i.e., the least worst, solutions for the territory. It is always worth seeking those solutions.

Franchise taxes for corporations, a small tax on each licensed corporation doing business in the territory, will increase slightly, if legislation approved Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee becomes law.

Under the proposal, the franchise tax for V.I. corporations would increase from a minimum of $150 to a minimum of $300 and for outside companies doing business in the territory from $300 to $500. The bill also defines “paid in capital” for the purpose of computing this tax. The tax is the greater of either the minimum tax, or $1.50 for each $1,000 in “capital stock” used by the company.

The change in the law is needed because the definition of “capital stock” is undefined. A 2001 court case applied a definition that reduced its meaning to a nearly insignificant proportion of actual stock in a company, Denise Johannes, Director of the Division of Corporation and Trademarks in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor testified.

The case; Miller Properties versus the Government of the Virgin Islands in 2001, upheld on appeal in 2003, reduced franchise tax payments.

“Miller Properties sued the Virgin Islands government to clarify that the words ‘capital stock’ was equivalent to “capital,” which limited the calculation of franchise tax to the value of issued and outstanding shares as set forth in the articles of incorporation. Any surplus payments to a corporation in excess of the par value of stock, which is generally referred to as paid-in capital, was not taxable as capital or capital stock. Furthermore, although the price paid for later issued stock generally exceeds the par value set forth in the articles of incorporation, under the current version of the statute this additional amount is not taxable as ‘capital stock,'” Johannes said.

“Given that the standard issuance at the time of formation is often only nominally stated as 1,000 shares at $1 each, what this means is that oftentimes large, well-capitalized Virgin Islands corporations only pay $150 in franchise taxes annually,” she said.

The new definition of “paid-in capital” would include the cash and other consideration received, minus expenses, plus any cash and other consideration contributed to the corporation by or on behalf of its shareholders, plus amounts transferred to paid-in capital by action of the board of directors or shareholders pursuant to a share dividend, share split, or otherwise, and the amount of capital paid in that is in excess of the stated par value of any class of stock.

The more expansive definition will mean larger companies with more resources will pay a higher tax than before.

Voting to send the measure on to the Rules and Judiciary Committee were: Vialet, Sens. Marvin Blyden (D-STT), Dwayne DeGraff,(D-STT) Neville James (D-STX), Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly(D-STX) , Tregenza Roach (D-STT) and Brian Smith (D-At-Large). All members were present.