The following archive was the final edition done in the original form
of our News Page. It ushered in our expanded Caribbean News focus

CURRENT EVENTS IN THE CARIBBEAN

APRIL,2002

Big case- Ballentines takes feds to court over second citizenship status of USVI

CARIBBEAN NEWS-VOLUME 5

(Pato's Note: Since returning recently from The U.S. Virgin Islands, I have many news stories to
bring you, mostly concerning issues in our "American Paradise". All stories were taken and edited
for content from The VIRGIN ISLANDS DAILY NEWS, save 1 or 2, and those will be noted. Here
is a slice of life in Paradise -some good, some not so good.)

I'll start with this, from the NPCA Magazine, Jan.-Feb.,2002 issue:

ST. JOHN,V.I.- The National Park Service is scrambling to buy more than 400 acres that are under
imminent threat of large scale development inside Virgin Islands National Park. The property
has been appraised by the Park Service to be worth between $8 million to $12 million.

The property, Maho Bay Estate, was inherited several years ago by 11 members of the Marsh
Family and is relatively untouched. Three family members have already sold their shares to the
Park Service.

Currently, buying the property outright is unlikely. The Federal government has given NPS
only $1.5 million, and a private donor has offered $4 million for the purchase. NPS is working
with the Trust for Public Lands to seek alternatives, such as land swaps and/or tax relief for
the owners.

Assessments from the resource management team report that development directly in the
middle of the park will increase soil erosion, degrade water quality, and destroy habitat for
migratory birds, as well as turtle nesting habitat and coral reef degradation.

Beyond damage to the ecosystem and the loss of spectacular island scenery, there are also
concerns about potential damage to the areas cultural and archeological resources.

The island has a rich history dating back to 710 B.C. when migratory peoples from South
America first established residency. Around 300 A.D., the island supported a small commun-
ity of Arawak people. In 1694 Danish settlers arrived on the island, attracted by the
opportunity to cultivate sugar cane.

V.I. National Park protects several 18th century sugar and cotton plantation ruins, and
those at Maho Bay Estate are vitally important to preseving the island's history. Though
deteriorating and covered in vegetation,remains of several small,neighboring plantations
are visable and provide a textbook setting to look at plantation systems.

The loss of this property could have far reaching effects. NPS Deputy Superintendant
Judy Shafer says,"When you lose a huge chunk like this to development, right through
the middle of the park, I wonder if we will still even qualify for national park status. It's as
if you took 400 acres out of the middle of Rocky Mountain National Park-it would have an
enormous impact."

ST. CROIX- More than a dozen groups representing farmers, environmentalists, realtors and
others have pledged support to a proposal to build wetlands to treat the effluent from
the island's wastewater treatment plant.

Caribbean Infra-Tech, which describes itself as a "sustainable infrastructure and facility
design" firm, is proposing to use wetlands to treat the effluent in order to meet a mandate
from the U.S. EPA. Wetlands that would attract eco-tourists would be created and 1 to 5
million gallons of water for farms and golf course irrigation would be made available for
less than the cost of a conventional facility.

The EPA has not set a deadline for the territory to stop dumping effluent into the
Caribbean Sea.

Once the effluent is pumped to the artificial wetlands, gravity would force it through a
series of 9 shallow ponds in which bacteria would break down the sewage in the water.
The water coming out of the system could be pumped to surrounding farms and the
Carambola Golf Course and used to recharge the aquifier.

"The treatment process is really a freebie, a natural freebie. The sunlight, bacteria and
gravity do all the work for us", said an Infra-Tech specialist.

What remains is for Gov. Charles Turnbull's administration to take an interest in the
project. 2/16/02

ST. JOHN- A controversial time share resort got a green light from the St. John Coastal Zone
Commitee. All 3 commitee members voted to grant a major CZM permit to First American
Development Group to build the 14 acre, $27 million Pond Bay Club.

The vote on the proposal was originally scheduled for last spring, but the developers
withdrew the application in the face of strong opposition from residents and environ-
mentalists.

The proposal has been scaled back about 10% but, even after the changes, many are
still opposed. Their concerns include the resorts impact on the island's environment
and infrastructure.

The conditions imposed on the developers include weekly monitoring of the water
quality in Chocolate Hole before, during and after construction and close supervision
to mitigate damage to mangrove and turtle nesting sites.

The developers are required to post a $10 million surety bond to cover costs
associated with failure of the plans, damage to the wetlands,and site restoration, should
the development be abandoned.

Construction on Pond Bay Club could begin later this year. 2/16/02

ST. THOMAS- In a sharply worded letter to the Education Commissioner, Senator Norman
Baptiste said teacher vacancies are leading to seniors not being able to graduate.

An excerpt reads:"Already faced with the threat of graduating from an unaccredited
institution, some of our seniors are now further victimized by a system that continues to
deprive them of legally mandated rights and opportunities".

Charlotte Amalie High School Principal Jeanette Smith Berry said there are 3 Spanish
classes, a French class,and 3 Math classes that need teachers. There are 340 seniors at
CAHS.

The superintendant for the St. Thomas/St. John school district said there is no threat of
seniors not graduating because of a teacher shortage. 2/15/02

ST. THOMAS- Eat what is before you and don't chase women- That is James Thomas'
formula for living. He turned 102 on Feb. 20th.

Of course, there is more to his longevity than those 2 rules. He has never smoked tobacco
or drunk liquor and eats lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Thomas was born Feb. 20, 1900 on St. John and grew up there. He leased land where he
grew fruits and vegetables. He also was an accomplished fisherman.

He moved to St. Thomas in 1937, where he learned carpentry and worked in the maintenance
Div. of the Education Dept. until his retirement in 1975 at age 74.

He continued to garden until he was over 100.

Asked what his plans were for the coming year, he replied, "Whatever God permits me."2/21/02

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO(AP)- NY Gov. George Pataki reiterated his support for the Navy to
leave its bombing range on Vieques next year. Vieques has been a key Navy training ground
for more than 60 years.

"I'm very proud of the Navy, and they need the best possible training, but Vieques is not
appropriate for that training", Pataki said. 2/21/02

ST. CROIX- Deborah Hodge can afford to give up her day job. A detective in the V.I. PD'S
investigative bureau, she won 12 ribbon's at the St. Croix Agricultural Fair food and drink
competition.

Eight of her 12 ribbons were 1st place awards. Her entries ranged from gooseberry and
carambola (starfruit) drinks to banana nut bread and salt fish cake.

Janet Brow and Maria Pante proved they are hard to beat as a team. They walked away
with 15 ribbons with recipes ranging from boiled and fried fish to stew chicken and goat.

Eleanor Sealy and Betty Lynch were winners with the crowd long before the judges
made their decision. People lined up at their booth to taste their winning pigtail souse
and potato salad all weekend. 2/21/02

ST. CROIX- The windmill has found another industrial application on St. Croix. After centuries
of use grinding sugar cane, they are now being used to pump oil out of the ground beneath
the site of St. Croix Alumina.

Between 900,000 and 2 million gallons of oil are thought to have leaked under the ground
of the site. Under a consent agreement all companies-past and present-that owned St. Croix
Alumina and neighboring Hovensa Refinery agreed to share the burden of the cleanup.

Six deep recovery wells have been drilled and wind power is being used to pump out the
mixture of water and oil. Once recovered, the liquid is pumped to Hovensa, which separates
the oil and uses it in its refining process. 2/22/02

ST. THOMAS- A Carnival Cruise Lines V.P. said that the cruise line was "very sensitive" to
concerns about a plan to expand the Crown Bay dock. But his brief talk disclosed few
new details about the proposal.

Instead, Giora Israel spoke of increasing competition St. Thomas faces for cruise traffic
from elsewhere in the Caribbean. "Crown Bay is very important for us. But it is more
important for the Virgin Islands", he said.

The St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce is advising Gov. Turnbull that the
proposed development is not a good deal for the Virgin Islands. 2/22/02

HASSEL ISLAND- Tucked into a corner of St. Thomas Harbor, history is starting to emerge
from the bush, thanks to a number of volunteers who began restoration work at the
Creque Marine Railway.

Friends of the V.I. National Park and about a dozen Virgin Islands youth gathered at the
southern tip of Hassel Island for a day of clearing bush that has overtaken the historic
structures. The students were also taught the cultural history of the island and preservation.

The railway, which dates from the middle of the 19th century, is considered one of the
territory's most important historical artifacts. Most of Hassel Island is now part of the
national park, though officials concede it is poorly utilized.

Back in the 1800's. when St. Thomas was already one of the busiest ports in the
Caribbean, the railway was the site of a bustling ship repair business. A few hundred feet
inland is the stone steamhouse, whose smokestack can still easily be seen from St. Thomas
and from boats passing through the cut between the island and Frenchtown.

The railway was eventually abandoned, and time, hurricanes and plant life have damaged
and obscured much of the site.

Friends President Joe Kessler says, "We feel fortunate to be leading a project that is so
welcomed by the community. People on St. Thomas will be able to see our progress and
will literally watch Hassel Island come alive again." 2/22/02

ST.CROIX- Senator Alicia Hansen says she is satisfied with steps taken by the Health Dept.
to protect patients and employees from dust stirred up by demolition at Charles Harwood
Complex. Hansen had threatened to file a restraining order to stop work at the complex,
the site of St. Croix's central health clinic, because of complaints of rashes, breathing
difficulties, swollen eyes and other problems.

The Commissioner of Health said work will now take place after the building closes at 3:30
p.m. Workers will take other steps, such as spraying walls down with water, to limit the
amount of dust in the air.

Since the complaints, the air conditioning ducts have been cleaned and air purifiers have
been put in the area used by the nursing staff.

After a tour of the complex on 5/16/2000, The National Institute of Occupational Safety
and Health determined that 3 dangerous bacteria were growing in the buildings: aspergillus,
penicillum and stachybotrys charatrum. 2/26/02

ST.THOMAS- Police and enforcement officers from the Department of Planning and Natural
Resources halted construction of a dock on Lovango Cay. It was the second time in 2 days
that inspectors found ongoing work on the dock, which violates a cease and desist order.

The action comes 3 weeks after DPNR fined a landowner and a barge company $3 million
for damaging coral, through collisions and propeller wash, at the same location.

Tom Bolt, an attorney for the landowners-Joseph John Markus Trust,are committed
environmentalists who were upset when they learned of the damage just offshore of the tiny
sparsely populated island northwest of St. John.

The trust holds a pair of minor CZM permits for work on Lovango Cay. The second one,
issued 10/01, allows the trust to build a new 80 ft. long concrete dock and remove the
remains of the old one.

The trust contracted local shipping company, Boyson Inc. to ferry construction equipment
and supplies to the site. It also hired St. Croix-based Bio Impact to monitor the project and
ensure the protection of the marine environment.

On 1/17, Bio Impact surveyed the site and noticed much damaged, broken, dead or over-
turned coral. The damage was clustered around areas just offshore from 2 barge ramps.

As the damage was being noted, a Boyson barge arrived, and while using its engines to
keep it in place as materials were unloaded, its propeller wash kicked up a large amount
of sand that buried more coral.

Bio Impact informed DPNR, which sent inspectors who confirmed Bio Impacts findings.
DPNR also noticed a temporary floating dock sitting directly on top of a coral head. And
the docks anchor chain was rubbing against other coral heads.

DPNR estimates that about 8,700 sq. ft. of sea floor was impacted and issued a notice of
violation assessment to the tune of $2. 9 million and ordered the trust to increase its
conservation bond from $1 million to $5 million. The fine was levied jointly between the
trust and Boyson, which they have appealed. 2/27/02

ST. CROIX- Residents have recommended changes to a plan for a park at Estate Great Pond,
while a senator has blasted the park commitee for not recognizing her role in its
development.

A 1999 lawsuit to stop construction of a rocket manufacturing plant on the site led to a
court order that a plan for a park be developed and submitted. The court ruled that the
land must be put to the use for which it was donated in 1974 for- recreation.

An advisory commitee submitted a plan that includes erosion control, archeological
research, restoration of a great house and slaves quarters and recreational facilities.

Residents have applauded the plan, but have made recommendations, which will now
be considered by the commitee before passing it on to Governor Turnbull.

Senator Alicia Hansen accused the commitee of forgetting that it was she and 19
residents who were plaintiffs in the suit to stop Beal Aerospace from building on the
Great Pond site. She said, "How can you talk about the history of Great Pond and not
talk about what brought us here tonight. I'm not going to let anybody slight me. The
only person who got the abuse and character assassination was Alicia Hansen."
2/27/02

ST.THOMAS- They made it! In 2 days, 3 St. Thomians paddled their kayaks through the
rough waters between Brewers Bay and Puerto Rico, landing safely on a small beach
near Fajardo, just as they had planned.

Chris Adams, Charles Matthew and Shawn "Nitro" Kilmer feel just as proud as they
are sore. "I feel like the happiest 80 year old on the planet", said Adams, the organizer
of the journey.

The trip began smoothly, but once in open water, swells of 8-12 ft. turned their paddle
into a roller coaster ride. "It's one thing to be on a boat, but when you are in a kayak
6 inches above the water, it intensifies because you feel every little wave. You don't
have time to get scared, you just get focused", said Kilmer, formerly from Colorado
and the novice of the trio. However, by Day 2, the ocean was "like a lake."

At the "champion moment" while uncorking a bottle of celebratory champagne,
Adams says, "This lady and her kids asked Charles where we were from and he said St.
Thomas. There was this huge Spanish explosion - they couldn't believe it!"

ST. THOMAS- The U.S Census Bureau released statistics that show 1 in every 3 Virgin
Islanders is living in poverty. However, the 2000 census also indicated that average
household incomes have increased in the territory.

"Some groups are getting richer, and others are getting poorer",said Frank Mills,
director of U.V.I.'s Eastern Caribbean Center, who coordinated the V.I's 2000 census.

Other census results: 28.7% of families live below poverty level, 45% of households
without fathers live in poverty, 41.7% - at least 14,000 - children live in poverty.

The V.I.'s level of poverty is much higher than on the mainland (about 1 in 10), yet
the rate of inflation - at 4% - was double that of the mainland.

The results of the census are available at: www.census.gov. 2/28/02

ST. CROIX- The typical child sent to the Youth Rehabilitation Center is likely to have
experienced abuse, to have lived in 10 different households, is likely to have cognitive
skills well below average and trouble controlling their anger and their impulses.

"You'd be angry too, if you had to live this kind of life", Carol Battuello, Superintendant
of YRC told the Senate Youth and Human Services Committee. She argued that her
agency, which receives no assistance from government, usually sees children for only
3 month stretches. The territory will never deal effectively with troubled youth or
control crime until it adopts a more seamless system.

Instead of viewing YRC residents as criminals, Battuello talked about the troubles the
children faced. She described "deeply scarred" children who suffered from nightmares
and chronic sleeping disorders. "Our picture of these children has to change. We have
to look at what they have been through".

ST. THOMAS- The 4th annual Father and Son Night will be held at Addelita Cancryn J.H.
School. About 300 are expected to take part.

Ahmed Popo, an assistant principal at Cancryn said, "The fathers have said it's a very
special time for them. This allows them the opportunity to say 'thank you' and show
appreciation to their sons.. I'm going to talk about our boys growing up to be men. I'm
going to emphasize the need for a good education, the importance of respecting elders
and how to leave our community better than it was when we were growing up". 2/28/02

ST.THOMAS/ST. CROIX- A team of 4 Education Dept. representatives are leaving for New
Jersey to attend a hearing on the status of accreditation of 3 of the territory's public
high schools - Ivanna Eudora Kean, Charlotte Amalie and Central. The team will not be
allowed to offer testimony during the hearing.

The hearing panel - Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools - has 60 days
to make recommendations to the Commision on Secondary Schools, at which time they
will give the V.I. Education Dept. its final decision.

Middle States pulled accreditation from the 3 schools on Dec. 31, 2001 because the
territory had failed to address 4 areas that needed improvement: site based management,
student attendance, teacher attendance and inadequate pool of substitute teachers.
2/27/02

ST. THOMAS- A mild earthquake was felt across the Virgin Islands on Feb. 25 at 3:30 A.M.
No damage was reported.

The Puerto Rico Seismic Network reported the magnitude at 4.0. U.W.I.'s Seismic
Research Unit put it closer to 3.6. The epicenter was in the British Virgin's between
Virgin Gorda and Anegada, 18 miles below the earth's surface.

The PRSN said the earthquake was part of the ongoing "seismic swarm", a cluster of mild
earthquakes, most centered north of the V.I. that began in October. (See "Archives"-Pato)

This earthquake was more noticeable simply because it was closer, not because it was
any stronger than usual, the PRSN said. 2/26/02