ll TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016 86th year, No. 23811 (he Virgin Islands DAILY © NEWS A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Newspaper ST. CROIX ST. JOHN ST. THOMAS CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, CULTURES AND HISTORY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS SINCE 1930 Mini Unpaid vendor says Page T h = k trash haulers might nei a X I e S stop collections Pes. s With government piggy bank empty 2 Mapp turns to taxpayers for cash Sin taxes on alcohol, tobacco and soda Vil. teams and taxes on property and time-share owners would fund court-ordered back pay Page 5 6 ill 5 TORTOLA rack up | ‘ olds : : PR Businesses to face spike in unemployment insurance rate Complex looks for Back Page to help V.l. government pay $69 million federal bill page 2 win in Puerto Rico iS Back Page Centennial Countdown Boat parade spreads Christmas cheer Page 24 Digging up V.I's past Pages 10-11 ISSN 2159-3019 WF Twitter: @VIDailyNews www.facebook.com/virginislandsdailynews www.virginislandsdailynews.com Specializing in Glaucoma, Cataracts, Cornea and G . ih thal " Retinal/Diabetic Disease p t aimo ogy ST. CROIX * 340-773-2015 * 3006 Orange Grove, Christiansted Comprehensive Eye Care — st, THOMAS + 340-774-2015 + 9000 Lockhart Gardens A HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014498

2 The Virgin Islands Daily News VIRGIN ISLANDS Tuesday, December 13, 2016 V.I. businesses face higher unemployment taxes as territory struggles to pay down $69 million debt By BRIAN O’CONNOR Daily News Staff Territory business owners will pay four times the normal federal unem- ployment tax rate this year because of an unpaid government debt, docu- ments show. The federal unemployment insur- ance tax rate is traditionally 6 per- cent on the first $7,000 an employee makes. However, the federal govern- ment usually offers a credit of 5.4 percent, meaning most employers ac- tually pay about 0.6 percent, accord- ing to the IRS. States — and territories — with unemployment insurance programs meeting federal standards are re- quired to meet their unemployment obligations. When a state can’t meet its unemployment obligations, it’s entitled to take loans from the Fed- eral Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Federal documents show only one state and one jurisdiction — Califor- nia and the U.S. Virgin Islands — are currently in that position. The territory owes $69,138,266.61 in loans, according to the U.S. De- partment of Treasury website. In fiscal year 2017, which be- gan Oct. 1, the loans have accrued $294,349.15 in interest payments alone. The VI. Labor Department is in charge of administering unemploy- ment insurance. Labor Commission- er Catherine Hendry did not return a number of phone calls seeking com- ment. Government House spokeswoman Cherie Munchez would not com- ment, saying that Hendry would issue a prepared statement about the debt by Wednesday. Provisions of the Federal Unem- ployment Tax Act stipulate that in states or territories with outstanding balances in the fund, businesses are subject to a credit reduction, which is collected and directed toward the un- paid balance, according to Robert Pa- vosevich, Supervisor of the Actuarial Team in the Office of Unemployment Insurance’s Division of Fiscal and Actuarial Services in the Department of Labor. Virgin Islands business owners will pay the original 0.6 percent, plus an additional 1.8 percent caused by the unpaid balance, for a total of 2.4 percent, Pavosevich said. At the fully discounted rate, an employer would pay $42 for each employee earning $7,000. At the Vir- gin Islands rate, employers will have to pay $168. After two years with an unpaid balance, the discount decreases by 0.3 percent each year until the total discount disappears, Pavosevich said. “It’s capped at 6 percent,” Pavosev- ich said. At the full 6 percent, employers will have to pay $420 for each new employee earning $7,000 that comes on board. By law, that money can’t come out of the wages themselves and is paid out of the profits or losses that employers face, said Charles Engeman, an attorney who served on the Unemployment Insurance Advi- sory Council under the administra- tion of Goy. John deJongh Jr. Without payment on the loan — or waivers or relief, which has happened three times since 2013 — the rate is scheduled to max out by 2028. That’s barring the imposition of step in- creases, which can happen if the state has an outstanding balance for a cer- tain number of years, or if — as was the case in the tax year 2012 — step increases are piled on by other provi- sions of the law, which could move the unemployment tax rate up faster. “Tt looks like they’re not making much headway,” Pavosevich said, re- ferring to the territory’s debt. The territory wasn’t alone in 2011, the first year the rate went up. In all, 20 states and the Virgin Islands re- ceived a 0.3 percent credit reduction that year, federal documents show. That’s in part because of the linger- ing effects of the Great Recession, said Bennett Chan, a lawyer who represents several businesses and has worked with the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce in the past. | don’t think there’s enough political willpower to do the kinds of thing necessary to fix the system. — Charles Engeman, an attorney who served on the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council under the administration of Gov. John deJongh Jr. The business owners always bear the brunt of whatever deficiencies we have. We have to, at some point, find other sources of revenue for the government. Any time there's any sort of additional tax burden, fee burden, licensing burden, it’s always a point of concern. — Kimberly McCollum, president of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce In general terms, states collected more money than they paid out dur- ing the years leading up to the 2008 market collapse, creating large sur- pluses. Sometimes those surpluses were subject to financial raids. Other times — as was the case in the ter- ritory — the surpluses were used as a cause to reduce the amounts col- lected for unemployment insurance. When large-scale unemployment hit as a result of the recession, surpluses turned into deficits, Chan said. “A lot of states were blindsided by the Great Recession,’ Chan said. “They also had big surpluses and never foresaw that there would be this sudden inflow in unemployment claims.” Territorial officials were late in re- acting to bring the rate back up to ad- dress the issue, Chan said. “Tf we had done it earlier, we prob- ably would have collected enough,” he said. “Now they want to make it up when times are hard.” In many cases, the government can’t say what each employer owes or has paid in surplus, Engeman said. The system originally was set up so that employers faced a roller coaster, Engeman said. Each employer had a rate based on a three-year average. If an em- ployer’s account paid out more in benefits than they contributed, the rate would go up to 5.4 percent. After three years, the employer's rate would drop down to 0.1 percent, because at 5.4 percent, the rate exceeded likely contributions. At 0.1 percent, if anyone were laid off, it immediately moved the em- ployer back to the 5.4 percent rate. Employers would oscillate between the 5.4 percent rate and the 0.1 per- cent rate. “Tt was 5.4 for many employers, and that’s what an average employer would pay out over the course of 17 years for one employee,” Engeman said. As a result, the unemployment insurance fund accumulated large surpluses. To reduce the surpluses, the VI. Labor Department dropped the automatic increase based on a negative account, and lowered the minimum rate to 0. Less money came in, even as unemployment rates re- mained high and benefits remained expensive. A few steps could help move the system back to sound footing, Engeman said. For example, better record-keeping would help reduce delinquencies. Reducing unem- ployment insurance benefits and reducing the amount of time the unemployed are eligible for unem- ployment would both help. Verify- ing that those collecting unemploy- ment are seeking employment, and generally reducing fraud also would help, Engeman said. “T don’t think there’s enough politi- cal willpower to do the kinds of thing necessary to fix the system,” he said. Chamber of Commerce officials on both islands decried any increase in taxes or fees for businesses. “Despite what the governor and the senators think, the economy of the Virgin Islands is not doing that well,” said Tom Brunt III, a member of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Kimberly McCollum, president of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, said any increases to fees or taxes was worrying. “The business owners always bear the brunt of whatever deficiencies we have,” she said. “We have to, at some point, find other sources of revenue for the government. Any time there’s any sort of additional tax burden, fee burden, licensing burden, it’s always a point of concern.” The folly of the situation is com- pounded by the fact that business owners themselves aren’t allowed to file for unemployment if they lose their jobs, McCollum said. “You're still paying unemployment taxes on what you’re paid, but you are not allowed to request compensation should you find yourself in a position to file for unemployment,” she said. — Contact Brian O'Connor at 340-714-9130 or email boconnor@ dailynews.vi. ISSN 2159-3019 Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. owned by VIDN Holdings, LLC publishes The Virgin Islands Daily News daily, except Sunday, Christmas Day and New Year's Day, at 9155 Estate Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI 00802. First class postage paid at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. U.S.V.1 USPS 144-180 POSTMASTER, send Form 3579, Notice of Address Change, to: Circulation Director, Daily News, 9155 Estate Thomas, St. Thomas, VI 00802. Contact us St. Thomas office The Daily News 9155 Estate Thomas St. Thomas, VI 00802 340-774-8772 St. Croix office The Daily News 1115 Strand Street Christiansted, VI 00820 340-714-9127 ST. CROIX ST. JOHN President Archie Nahigian 340-714-9105 [email protected] Che Virgin Islands DAILY ® NEWS © 2016 Daily News Publishing Co., Inc. Editor At Large J. Lowe Davis 340-714-9138 [email protected] A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Newspaper Advertising News 340-714-9103 340-714-9106 customerservice [email protected] ST. Tomas ToRTOLA @dailynews.vi Sports Circulation 340-714-9117 Executive Editor Gerry Yandel 340-714-9106 [email protected] 340-714-9101 [email protected] Classifieds and Legal Ads 340-714-2222 classifieds @dailynews.vi [email protected] Opinions letters @ dailynews.vi Announcements notices @dailynews.vi Subscriptions MAIL, BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL DELIVERY: 714-9101 ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS: dailynews.vi SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One dollar daily. Other subscription rates available on request. 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Tuesday, December 13, 2016 VIRGIN ISLANDS The Virgin Islands Daily News 3 Work stoppage threat gets Waste Management to table By JONATHAN AUSTIN Daily News Staff A Waste Management Authority contractor had planned a work stop- page this week because the Virgin Is- lands Waste Management Authority owes vendors a lot of money and they can’t keep working for nothing. However, discussions with adminis- trators at Waste Management led Peter Caproni, owner of Your Environmental Services Inc., to say he’s holding off on urging garbage collection vendors to stop work on Wednesday. “T’m not intent on messing up our communities,” said Caproni, whose company picks up the bin sites on St. John. “We've created a dialogue. I am a fair person,’ Caproni said. “I want to listen to what they have to say. It seems as though they’re going to put together an offer.” Caproni had told The Daily News on Monday he was announcing a work stoppage beginning Wednesday. He said he and other haulers were go- ing to stop emptying scores of bins across St. Thomas and St. John be- cause Waste Management had failed to pay them for weeks or months. Caproni said he has worked 26 years in trash removal and roll on/ roll off services in the territory. He said his company empties “all the rear load bins on St. John,’ and does emergency Waste Management Au- thority work on St. Thomas. Contacted by The Daily News, Waste Management Authority execu- tives were unaware Caproni and pos- sibly two other haulers were walking off the job. Roger Merritt Jr., the newly hired executive director of the agency, said Monday evening he wants to meet with all the contracted haulers to see what they are owed and come up with a plan to get them paid. “T understand that the haulers need to get paid,” Merritt said. “We need to ensure we are able to make timely payments.” Caproni said he is willing to lis- ten, but the answer has to be that the Waste Management Authority comes up with payment for services already rendered. “The solution is, you pay your bills on time,” he said. Patrick Charles, one of the vendors Caproni mentioned, said Monday that he has “reasons to be on board” with a work stoppage, though he couldn’t make such a decision alone. “T realize that he is upset,’ Charles said, referring to Caproni. “It is time Police: Ex-employee filing By BRIAN O’CONNOR Daily News Staff Police officials dismissed this week multiple complaints filed by a former employee against high-ranking mem- bers of the V.I. Police Department. The complaints are all filed by Lynne Harrison, the former director of the Police Training Bureau. In one such complaint, Harrison alleges Deputy Commissioner Curtis Griffin Jr. was “receiving compensa- tion when absence from employment without proper leave documentation,” and “payroll fraud/embezzlement — falsifying timekeeping records, or when employees are not working while on the job.” In a letter attached to the claim, Harrison says that from August 2016 to the present, Griffin received com- pensation while not reporting for duty at the department. “In addition, he has not left for- warding contact information to those under his supervision and often was not available during contact attempts occurring during normal working hours,” Harrison wrote. “Griffin was available only via VIPD email which was delayed or not deliverable, thus leaving him ineffective and not suit- able to be classified as working tele- commuting.” Griffin dismissed the complaints against him, and said he welcomed an investigation. “IT want them to investigate be- cause I’m hoping — when all is done — I’m hoping that maybe I can sue her for slander,” he said. “I have noth- ing to hide.” Harrison’s letter calls for Griffin to be investigated. “While his explanation of absence has been reported as a long term med- ical procedure, due to the extraordi- nary length of absence, previous ab- sences, and non-contact information, a full investigation is warranted to in- sure the people of the Virgin Islands have not been deprived of its funds due to improper payroll deductions or notifications,” she wrote. The complaint was one of 10 filed after Harrison lost her job as direc- tor of the police department’s Train- ing Bureau, according to copies fur- nished by Harrison. She filed a citizen’s complaint after her termination alleging that Police Commissioner Delroy Richards Sr. had violated department policy and that he had ignored requests for the correction of a violation. Harrison also filed a complaint alleging Griffin’s administrative as- sistant, Le-Reeda Lake, was absent on sick leave for four weeks without prior notice; that special assistant to the commissioner Capt. Mary Dug- 66 The solution is, you pay your bills on time. — Peter Caproni, owner of Your Environmental Services Inc. for anybody to get upset. I’m in agreement with him.” Charles said his firm empties bins on St. Thomas and hauls trash from Waste Management Authority collec- tion sites in a number of government housing communities. Regarding how much Waste Man- agement owes him, Charles replied: “It depends on what you call a lot. They’re two months behind, now.” Caproni wouldn’t say how much Waste Management owes him in total. “It’s a big amount of money,” he said. “I’m fed up with the whole thing.” Caproni said he estimated that Waste Management owes various vendors millions of dollars. The Waste Management Author- ity’s inability to pay vendors has been a topic during Senate testimony over the years. Steve Aubin, who was interim ex- ecutive director of the Waste Man- agement Authority for most of 2016, told the Senate Finance Committee in July that the contractors needed to be paid. “Tt is clear that the contractors are bearing the brunt while trying to provide critical services in hopes of payment by the authority as soon as possible,” he said. Aubin ran the agency after the re- tirement of May Adams Cornwall un- til Merritt was hired last month. “The financial condition of the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority is dire and requires im- mediate attention and relief,’ Aubin told senators in July. “The author- ity’s available cash to pay its con- tractors/vendors timely is critically limited, resulting in delayed pay- ments to its contractors/vendors; growing accounts payable, which is currently on the order of $10 million for its major contractors/ vendors; and non-compliance at the Anguilla and Bovoni landfills with court ordered mandates.” An example of the outstanding obligations owed by Waste Manage- ment has been highlighted for the last two years in Senate testimony during the budget process. For Fiscal Year 2016, the agency noted it owed vendor Gem’s Construction $200,000 from fiscal year 2012 to pay for gar- bage collection services on the island of St. Thomas. The Waste Management Authority noted that it was “unable to identify a revenue source” to pay Gem’s for the years-old debt. During testimony on the Fiscal Year 2017 budget, Waste Manage- ment again listed $200,000 owed to Gem’s Construction for garbage collection on St. Thomas. However, Waste Management officials said the $200,000 was owed from the 2011 fiscal year. No one from Gem’s Construction was available for comment Monday afternoon. Merritt said he believes the Waste Management Authority can address the overdue debt owed to the vendors. “T think we can. We’ve got to get a plan in hand and get them paid. If they provide a service, they should get paid,” he said. — Contact Jonathan Austin at 340-714-9104 or email jaustin@ dailynews.vi. ‘frivolous’ complaints against top cops gan had potentially disclosed confi- dential department information to a third-party vendor for personal gain, and had used threatening behavior to create a hostile work environment, and that she had obstructed Harri- son’s performance of her duties. Harrison further alleged that Lt. Maria Colon-Jones had disrupted a training presentation, and she said her termination was retaliatory for asking for sick leave to be treated for Zika. Harrison said that she eventually fled the Virgin Islands in fear of her life and that the police department still owes her $5,000 in back pay, Harrison said. Harrison said Monday she’s sub- mitted her complaints to Gov. Ken- neth Mapp. “T was the director of training and was fired without cause,” she said. “I had filed several complaints.” Harrison said she requested 10 days of medical treatment off-island to com- bat a Zika infection on Oct. 18. “Two hours later, I was terminat- ed,” she said. Documents provided by Harrison show she was suspended without pay on Oct. 18, and terminated on Oct. 28. Griffin said that while he was un- dergoing cardio rehab in Florida, he started hearing about issues involving Harrison. Ultimately, Richards made the decision to terminate Harrison, Griffin said. “Subsequent to her termination, she started sending complaints,” he said. “She said she heard that while I was away I was practicing law and not really sick.” Harrison wasn’t his supervisor, and wasn’t aware of how the accumu- lated sick time was being used, Grif- fin said. “She submitted so many com- plaints against so many people,” he said. “It’s obvious that it’s frivolous.” The complaints have not yet re- sulted in an internal investigation, Richards said. “T found she was too much of a distraction for us to move forward with the actions as required of us by the mandates of our consent decree,” Richards said about his decision to terminate Harrison. Harrison had failed to submit to a department background check in a timely manner, Richards said. “The department brought her in on an interim basis initially, and then she was asked to comply with the package that we provided in order to conduct a background investigation,” he said. “She offered resistance. She believed she could complete her own timeline.” Harrison said she had asked for 10 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014500 days to secure her college transcripts. “My email specifically says I am not saying I don’t want a background check,” she said. Richards said he ultimately direct- ed Harrison’s complaints to the legal department, but he said Harrison continued to send letters and emails. A response from the department’s legal counsel provided by Harrison says simply that Harrison couldn’t use the citizen’s complaint process to complain about things that happened while she was the director of the Training Bureau, and that each com- plaint will be closed as it is received. “Tn some of her letters and emails, she appeared very threatening,” Richards said. “In one of her emails she wrote ‘You are sicker than a tree branch that’s going to be cut down very soon.’ It’s one ignorance after another.” Harrison disputes that charac- terization. “I’m very professional,” she said. Griffin was on legitimate sick leave when he was in Florida, Richards said. “He was being treated and he en- tered into a program in Florida,” he said. “The woman is on a witch hunt all over.” — Contact Brian O’Connor at 340-714-9130 or email boconnor@ dailynews.vi.

4 The Virgin Islands Daily News VIRGIN ISLANDS Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Police say woman tried to smuggle pot into prison By BRIAN O’CONNOR Daily News Staff A Mon Bijou woman tried to sneak two bags of marijuana into Golden Grove, police said. Sherifa Petersen, 27, faces a single charge of introducing contraband into prison, and was free on $10,000 bail about six hours later, according to her arrest record. VI. police arrested Petersen on Friday afternoon about 1:47 p.m., after corrections officers discovered the marijuana hidden in the personal belongings of inmate Omari Gordon, according to Petersen’s arrest log. Rick Mullgrav, Director of the Bu- reau of Corrections, said corrections officers discovered the marijuana during a routine search. Petersen “was bringing a pack- age for her companion, and I will say her companion, because I’m not sure what the relationship was there,” Mullgrav said. “She was coming to visit, and she brought some drugs.” Corrections officers told police they had smelled marijuana in a pair of black Jordan sneakers Petersen was bringing to Gordon, according to a VIPD press release. When correc- tions officers pulled apart the sneak- ers, they discovered two small plastic bags of marijuana, according to the press release. Any material that ends up in the hands of prisoners is thoroughly searched as a matter of routine, Mull- grav said. “We search any item that goes to the inmates,” he said. “Generally speaking, it’s pretty thorough.” Gordon, 32, has been in jail since police charged him with first- degree attempted murder and first- degree assault following a Nov. 29 shooting on St. Croix, authorities have said. Gordon’s name also matches that of a man charged in 2010 with the murder of 19-year-old Kendal Wood. Gordon’s trial languished in the Su- perior Court on St. Croix for almost three years, and he was most recently granted a continuance in 2013. The disposition of the murder case involving Gordon couldn’t be immediately ascertained Monday evening. Gordon had been released on elec- tronic monitoring and house arrest pending trial in 2013, according to court documents at the time. He was being held on $500,000 bail in his most recent arrest, police said. — Contact Brian O’Connor at 340-714-9130 or email boconnor@ dailynews.vi. Federal judges from Philadelphia in the Virgin Islands to hear cases By BRIAN O’CONNOR Daily News Staff The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- peals will sit this week in the federal courthouse on St. Thomas. Judges Kent Jordan, Michael Cha- gares and Thomas Hardiman will hear a range of appellate cases, ranging from a local prisoner challenging his detention as unconstitutional to an es- tate battle over an inheritance in which two separate federal cases were merged into one. The judges fly in from Philadelphia to hear argument on issues they decide at a later date. Appellate court argument is based around rapid-fire questions from the empaneled judges, unlike civil or criminal court, which frequently is dominated by long exchanges between attorneys and witnesses. The appellant attorney gets four min- utes to make a case, followed by four minutes from the appellee, followed by four minutes of rebuttal from the appel- lant attorney, though judges’ questions can sometimes turn four minutes into eight. 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Gillette’s attorney, Joseph DiRuzzo III, began on Monday by making his case that the motion, ordered by Chief District Court Judge Wilma Lewis, constituted a final judgement and thus was worthy of an appeal. DiRuzzo sought a three-judge panel to overturn Lewis's order. It didn’t take long for Jordan to ask a question. “How can it be a final order if there are still claims in the case, if you’re still seeking relief, which you are?” he said. DiRuzzo had a response. “The denial of a three-judge panel effectively throws Mr. Gillette out of court,” he said. He started to add to this, but Jordan cut him off. “There are claims for relief, they still exist,” he said. “I’m struggling to see how this is a final judgement.” Orders relating to the change in the reduction of a prison population essentially rely on three-judge pan- els to be valid, DiRuzzo said. Pris- on orders issued by a single judge are subject to challenge on appeal, DiRuzzo said. “IT would submit that three-judge courts are desirable in confrontations between state and federal power,” he said. Kimberly Salisbury was the Assis- tant Attorney General arguing for the appellee. Her job on Monday was to tell three federal judges that it wasn’t their job to decide Gillette’s case. “This particular order is just simply not final,” she said, at one point. However, Hardiman had a question. If there was an order short of Gil- lette’s release that could make the prison resolve the Eighth Amendment violations that put the prison under a federal consent decree for decades to resolve, Lewis or another judge could still make the determination. The pris- on has completed only 14 percent of the new consent decree ordered in 2013 according to testimony. “What would that order look like?” Hardiman asked. Salisbury struggled with an answer. Jordan tried to steer the argument back to the facts of the case. “Does the fact that a 2013 consent decree superseded and replaced the original, does it mean the three decades of prior noncompliance is to be ig- nored?” he said. “You're not even a fifth of the way completed. At what point is enough enough?” Complying with the consent decree will take time, Salisbury said. “According to the Bureau of Correc- tions, we're not there yet,” she said. Chagares jumped in, and compared Golden Grove Adult Correctional Fa- cility to a luxury cruise liner. “Tt’s like your big cruise ships out in the bay,” he said. “It takes a long time to turn around. But this is a really long time.” Hearings will continue today before the Third Circuit at the DeLugo Federal Building on St. Thomas at 9 a.m. An- other session is set for Thursday start- ing at 10:30 a.m. — Contact Brian O’Connor at 340-714-9130 or email boconnor@ dailynews.vi. 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Tuesday, December 13, 2016 VIRGIN ISLANDS The Virgin Islands Daily News 5 Mapp turns to new taxes in accepting court ruling on 8% government pay cut By JONATHAN AUSTIN Daily News Staff Gov. Kenneth Mapp said Monday he believes the territory must accept a federal court ruling that found a 2011 government employee pay cut uncon- stitutional. “After reviewing the case with the at- torney general and reviewing the case with our financial team, I really am of the mind that the government of the Virgin Islands should make good on this claim,” Mapp said. He said he wants the Legislature to sign on to a plan to pay the claim and address other issues by approving in- creased sin taxes, taxes on time-share occupants, and changes that set a minimum tax for property owners who claim tax credits. He said the lawsuit judgement is val- ued at $65 million. “We will include all workers affected by the cut. In unions, all unions, and out of unions,” Mapp said. The territory had asked the full 3rd US. Circuit Court of Appeals to recon- sider the judgement, which was penned by three of the court’s judges. The court rejected that request Mon- day. The governor made his comments Today The Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in the Lawaetz Con- ference Room on St. Croix to get an update on the V.I. Police Department, the V.I. Corrections Bureau and the VI. Health Department. Wednesday The Finance Committee will meet at 9a.m. in the Ottley Legislative Hall on St. Thomas to consider a bill relating to the International Banking Center Regulatory Act and a bill re- appropriating $2 million of Luis Hos- during a press conference Monday morning on St. Croix. The conference originally had been scheduled for Friday on St. Thomas, but was delayed for no stated reason. Mapp also announced he has in- voked public exigency authority to fast track road repairs in the territory. He described public exigency as “sort of a public emergency” declara- tion that should allow the government to more quickly award repair contracts for roadways that have deteriorated following extensive rainfall. Mapp said he has consulted with federal authorities and hopes to access existing highway project funds “to use them to get the primary road system and secondary road system repaired.” He said the work will be done under existing federal road require- ments, meaning they include proper drainage, sidewalks, striping and other elements, “‘all compliant with federal highway and DOT standards.” Regarding the 3rd Circuit ruling on the 8 percent cuts enacted through the VI. Economic Stability Act of 2011, Mapp said the territory could pay off the amounts due to employees in two years if plaintiffs in the case give the government time to make good. He said the payments can be satis- Senate Agenda pital appropriations for the use of the HVAC project. Thursday The Rules and Judiciary Com- mittee will meet at 9 a.m. in Ottley Legislative Hall on St. Thomas to consider bills that include a bill to in- crease the Emergency Services Sur- charge from $1 to $2; a bill providing for the disposition of proceeds from the rental or sale of housing units ac- quired in the Limetree Bay Terminals operating agreement to a bill regard- ing the establishment of credit unions and their oversight; and a bill creating the V.I. Risk-Based Capital for Insur- ' : : ii. 3 = 5 S P29 776-1679 colormarvyiiigmaicom COME VISIT OUR STATE-OF-THE ART FULL COLOR DIGITAL PRINTING CENTER fied if new tax collections from what he called the Virgin Islands Enhance- ment and Economic Recovery Act, which must be approved by the Sen- ate, total at least $80 million. He said alcohol and tobacco in the Virgin Islands is sorely undertaxed, and 40 million bottles of beer are sold each year in the territory. Additional tax also would be charged on distilled alcohol and wine. “Tn addition, we are seeking at least $12 per carton tax on cigarette and tobacco products in the territory,” as well as “a sugar tax on carbonated sweet beverages,” Mapp said. Mapp suggested most of the mil- lions of beers are consumed by tour- ists, so the tax would target visitors who enjoy the territory and should contribute to maintaining its infra- structure. “Tf you felt that was too expensive, then stop drinking beer. That’s healthy. That’s a benefit,’ Mapp said, referring to locals who drink alcohol. Mapp is also seeking a tax on time- share occupants, and wants to require that any resident claiming credits on property taxes pay a minimum annual property tax of $360. He said the additional tax revenue could also provide $18 million to pay ers Act. Friday No meetings. Govemor’s Agenda Today No appearances scheduled. Government House did not provide Gov. Kenneth Mapp’ agenda. COURTYARD SELF STORAGE Climate Controlled Units From 5’x5’ to 12’x20" Secure Keypad Entry Video Monitoring 24/7 Self-Serve Kiosk East End - Smith Bay (across from Margaritaville) 340-776-6008 www.courtyardselfstorage.com worker’s compensation debts to medi- cal providers, hospitals and injured workers in the territory. Mapp said Monday that “as of to- day,” he was not prepared to call the Legislature back into session to ad- dress his proposal. Senate Majority Leader Sammuel Sanes said Monday he hopes more revenue could be generated through the reopening of the St. Croix oil refin- ery to pay some of what Mapp wants. “We shouldn’t rely so much on taxation. Right now, people of the Virgin Islands are facing a financial burden. Now we want to tax them more. That is not appealing to me at all,” he said. “There are some good points” to the governor’s suggestions, Sanes said. “I see his point. I can understand where he is coming from,” he said. Lame duck Sen. Clifford Graham said Monday that the promise to repay government workers back for the pay cut won’t be enough to convince legis- lators to support Mapp’s proposal. “The governor has sent us his ver- sion of the deficit reduction strategy,” Graham said. There are parts that senators will support, and “some we definitely would not be in favor of,” he said. Graham said paying back the gov- ernment employees should be a prior- ity. “Are they Number | on the priority list? I think there are more critical is- sues now,” Graham said. Graham said he is not sure whether the 31st Legislature will consider Mapp’s approvals before it stands down this month. “T am willing and able to work until my last day,” he said. “I am not sure the calendar will afford us the time to do so.” — Contact Jonathan Austin at 340- 714-9104 or email jaustin@dailynews. vi. Coming to Join the Vi Dental Team! Pediatric Dentist Call us! Make an Appointme 340-776-6056 Or. Flavia Tingling Or. Tingling was born on the beauti-ful sunny island of Jamaica, bet short-ty thereafter relocated to the cold winters of Michigan! The move was prompted by her father’s educational pursuit to become an Orthodontist at The University of Michigan- Ann Ar-bor. Her mother became a dental hy-gienist when Dr. Tingling was in high school, After her completion of an undergraduate degree from the “Big House", Dr. Tingling surprised every-one and followed the path of her DNA, by becoming a dentist! She then traded the cold winters of Ann Arbor for the bright lights of New York City! She was a fellow of General Dentistry at tha Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery, for 2 years. It was her exposure there thal led her to pursue a specialty degree in Pediatrics. She completed her Pediatric Dentistry Resi-dency at St. Barnabas Hospital- New York Presbyterian Weil Cor-nell, Bronx, New York. Her genuline.bove of children is evidenced by the arduous tasks she completed, to enable her to treat them ex-clusively. She kes practicing dentistry, but LOVES rendering care to children? Board Certified Pediatric Dentists! #\idental HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014502

6 The Virgin Islands Daily News VIRGIN ISLANDS Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Oswald Harris Court raid yields 2 marijuana arrests By SUZANNE CARLSON Daily News Staff ST. THOMAS — A massive op- eration involving more than a dozen armed local and federal officers — while a helicopter circled overhead — at Oswald Harris Court on Fri- day evening yielded two marijuana arrests. Jose Squiabro, 42, and Yasim Ross, 31, both of Oswald Harris Court, were arrested as a result of the opera- tion, according to court documents. Both were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and released Monday after posting $10,000 bond each. Arraignment for the two men is scheduled for Jan. 5. Friday’s operation shut down the housing community and caused alarm for residents around Estate Thomas, Long Bay and Centerline Road. More than a dozen armed officers secured the intersection around Build- ing 9 in the housing community as a US. Customs and Border Protection helicopter flew overhead. None of the officers would say what they were do- ing, but they were dressed in tactical yl LUMBER Best Lumber in the Industry: * Putnam Lumber * Georgia Pacific * Dantzler Trade * Aljoma Lumber * Free Delivery Best Prices on Galvalume in the V.I. (340) 778-2331 # 251 ESTATE GLYNN, ST. CROIX We Ship To STT & STJ gear, some armed with long guns that appeared to be semi-automatic rifles, and officers wore body armor labeled as being from the Drug Enforcement Administration or police. Probable cause affidavits filed Monday against Squiabro and Ross shed light on the operation, known as “December Reign.” The operation is a joint effort by officers from Homeland Security In- vestigations, U.S. Customs and Bor- der Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, To- bacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Jus- tice Department, and the VI. Police Department. It is meant to patrol St. Thomas housing communities, “due to the recent increase in gun violence in those areas,” according to the af- fidavit for Ross. At 4:45 p.m. Friday, officers ap- proached a group of men around Building 20 and noticed Squiabro drop a partially smoked joint, accord- ing to the affidavit. Officers recovered the joint and 105 bags containing marijuana, ac- cording to the affidavit. The affida- vit does not note how large the bags were or the total weight of marijuana SKYRIDE TO PARADISE POINT ARADISE POINT IS THE PER T PLACE FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE VIEW, GROUPS LARGE OR SMALL AND PLENTY OF VERED NG! BOOK NOW 774-9809 recovered. Officers also recovered $1,045 in cash and a Samsung cell phone from Ross, both of which were returned to him, according to the affidavit. Squiabro’s criminal history includes a 1993 arrest for second-degree bur- Daily News file photo A U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter circles Estate Thomas on Friday evening as police on the ground secured the intersection around Building 9 at Oswald Harris Court housing community on St. Thomas. glary, which was dismissed in 1997; a 1996 arrest for possession of stolen property, for which he was sentenced to a $500 fine, one year in jail suspended after six months, and two years’ proba- tion; and a 2001 arrest for possession of an unlicensed firearm, for which there Crack dealer arrested in By SUZANNE CARLSON Daily News Staff ST. THOMAS — Federal agents arrested a crack cocaine dealer in Red Hook on Saturday as part of an ongoing investigation targeting armed drug trafficking, according to court documents. Tolomah Foy was arrested and charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, ac- cording to an affidavit filed Monday by a special agent with the U.S. Bu- reau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also known as the ATF. The arrest came as a result of oper- ation “Total Recall,’ an ATF initiative on St. Thomas that began in August and is ongoing, according to the af- fidavit. “This investigation focuses on the armed drug trafficking fueling vio- lence which has resulted in over 48 homicides to date,” according to the affidavit. Agents focused on armed drug traffickers operating in Red Hook, a commercial bar and restaurant dis- trict frequented by a large number of tourists, and have created cases against 10 subjects for federal fire- arm and narcotics violations so far, according to the affidavit. On Nov. 11, an undercover agent made a cold contact with Foy, also known as “T;’ who led the agent behind Tap and Still and sold him approximately 3 grams of crack co- caine, according to the affidavit. The agent exchanged phone num- bers with Foy and called him on Nov. 14 to arrange another transaction out- side the Fresh Mart Grocery store. Foy asked the agent to instead meet him behind Tap and Still, where he sold him approximately 6 grams of crack cocaine for $200, according to the affidavit. On Nov. 17, Foy sold the Dr. Luis Frias, Board Certified Neurologes! and Clinical Neurophysiologist was “no known disposition” listed in court documents. Similar to Squiabro’s arrest, at about 5:50 p.m. Friday, officers ap- proached Ross and other men near the 1st Stop Gas Station in Estate Thomas, which is located south of Oswald Harris Court. When asked whether he had any illegal substanc- es, Ross said, “yeah I have a little weed in my back pocket,” according to the affidavit. Officers found a total of 2.2 ounces of marijuana packaged in various plas- tic bags in Ross’ possession and arrest- ed him, according to the affidavit. Ross’s criminal history includes a 2003 arrest for third-degree burglary; a June 2009 arrest for delaying and obstructing; a Sept. 2009 arrest for first-degree robbery, possession of a dangerous weapon, and unauthorized use of a vehicle; and he was arrested in January and charged with destruc- tion of government property. Court documents list “no known disposition” for each of Ross’s prior arrests. — Contact Suzanne Carlson at 340-714-9122 or email scarlson@ dailynews.vi. Red Hook agent 9 grams of crack cocaine for $600 at the same location. On Friday, the agent exchanged text messages with Foy and ar- ranged for another transaction, and on Saturday, agents recorded a phone call with Foy in which he agreed to sell approximately $1,500 worth of crack cocaine, according to the affidavit. The agent met with Foy at approxi- mately 6:15 p.m. Saturday in the rear parking lot of Tap and Still, “con- sequently the ATF cover teams de- scended on scene and arrested Foy,” according to the affidavit. Agents retrieved 15 grams of crack cocaine from Foy on Saturday, and seized approximately a total of 32 grams of crack cocaine from Foy dur- ing the investigation, according to the affidavit. — Contact Suzanne Carlson at 340-714-9122 or email scarlson@ dailynews.vi. Dr. Frias provides treatment and management of neurological disorders including: Epilepsy * Muscle diseases * Peripheral nerve diseases * Nerve damage © Cerebral palsy Headaches © Mobility disorders * Neurogenetic diseases * Neurobehavior disorders Birth defects of the brain and spinal cord * Mental retardation & developmental delay Stroke, Brain Tumors & Neurofibromatosis. © 340-719-0681 { ) iamond R HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014503 Adult Appointments: C 340-713-7000 * 4100 Sio

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 FOR THE RECORD Man arrested in Arizona for armed jewelry store robbery By SUZANNE CARLSON Daily News Staff Police have extradited a man from Arizona and charged him in connec- tion with the 2013 armed robbery of Gems and Gold Corner, according to VL. Police spokeswoman Sakeeda Freeman. Ron Kuntz, 42, was arrested at 11:55 p.m. Saturday and charged with first-degree robbery, second-de- gree robbery, grand larceny, first-de- gree assault, third-degree assault, de- struction of property, and aiding and abetting. Bail was set at $150,000. Kuntz and others were identified as being responsible for the armed rob- The police blotter is the V.I. Ter- ritorial Emergency Management Agency’s list of calls to 911 Emer- gency operators and the time they were reported. St. Croix Charged: Assault George Christopher, 62, of Mon Bijou was arrested at 10:30 a.m. Fri- day and charged with second-degree assault-domestic violence. Police said he choked a woman. No bail was set per the domestic violence statute. Charged: Fugitive from justice Everick Phillip, 31, of Mount Pleasant was arrested at 6:20 p.m. Sunday and charged with being a fu- gitive from justice. Police said he was wanted on a warrant out of Orange County, Fla. No bail was set. Incidents in the police blotter in- cluded: Assault — 10:54p.m. Sunday, Golden Grove; 3:16 p.m. Monday, Kingshill. Destruction of property — 12:32a.m. Monday, Salt River; wf bery in Drake’s Passage on Sept. 16, 2013, Freeman said. The robbery occurred just before 10 a.m. when a man entered the store and pulled a handgun from his waist, police said at the time. The robber told the owner, who was the only person in the store at the time, to get down and then broke out some of the glass cases in the store. Police did not say what the value of the goods taken was. Kuntz was apprehended and de- tained in Tempe, Ariz., after a rou- tine traffic stop, and Arizona police discovered there was an outstanding warrant for Kuntz from the U.S. Vir- gin Islands, Freeman said. Police blotter 11:51am. Monday, Strawberry Hill; 12:09 p.m. Monday, Salt River; 6:30 p.m. Monday, La Reine. Larceny — 11:17a.m. Monday, Mutual Homes; 3:15 p.m. Monday, Richmond. Vehicle tampering — 8:59 a.m. Monday, Hannah’s Rest; 12:28 p.m. Monday, La Reine. St. Thomas Charged: Assault Anthony Picot, 31, of Smith Bay was arrested at 2:40 p.m. Saturday and charged with second-degree as- sault and disturbance of the peace- domestic violence. No bail was set per the domestic violence statute. Charged: Assault Kimberley Williams, 27, of Bovo- ni, was arrested at 5:50 a.m. Monday and charged with third-degree as- sault-domestic violence. No bail was set per the domestic violence statute. Charged: Assault A 17-year-old boy was arrested at 12:10 p.m. Monday in the area of the Lucinda Millin Home and charged with third-degree assault. se WORK CAN WoRK BETTER & * Office Printers | ¢ Multifunction / All in One Printer * Production Printers & Digital Presses * Managed Print Services www.eoeusv!l.com 776-7399 © 692-1399 Kuntz waived extradition and was returned to St. Thomas to face charg- es, Freeman said. Freeman said Kuntz lives in Estate Tutu, but the VI. Police arrest log list- ed his address as East Baseline Road in Phoenix, Ariz. Anyone with information about crime in the territory can contact the V.I. Police Department at 340- 774-2211, the Criminal Investiga- tion Bureau at 340-714-9801, the anonymous tip service Crime Stop- pers USVI at 1-800-222-8477, or 911. — Contact Suzanne Carlson at 340-714-9122 or email scarlson@, dailynews.vi. He was released to the custody of his parents. Incidents in the police blotter in- cluded: Assault — 4:32 a.m. Monday, Os- wald Harris Court; 4:38 a.m. Mon- day, Bovoni; 11:50a.m. Monday, Savan. Attempted burglary — 6:03 p.m. Monday, Mariendal. Destruction of property — 3:56 p.m. Monday, Port Authority. Larceny — 11:42 a.m. Monday, Mahogany Estate. Unlawful entry — 11:34p.m. Sunday, Anna’s Retreat. Vehicle tampering — 11:34 a.m. Monday, Port Authority; 7:37 p.m. Monday, Zone C; 7:52 p.m. Monday, Zone C. St. John Incidents in the police blotter in- cluded: Larceny — 12:28 p.m. Monday, Zone D. Outside fire — 11:05 a.m. Mon- day, Zootenvaal. Vehicle fire — 2am. Monday, Gerder Marsh Road; 2:43 a.m. Mon- day, Gerder Marsh Road. 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8 The Virgin Islands Daily News Ivan A. Frazer Muhammed Ivan A. Frazer Muhammed, also known as BKA Kitchel or Rock City, 80, of St. Thomas, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, at Schneider Regional Medical Center. He was born Oct. 6, 1936. His children and their children; daugh- ter — Denise Frazer; Kneka Dewindt, Rick Lewis and Caprisha Richards; daughter — Cheryl Frazer Jackson; Kev- in Jackson Jr. and Chynelle Munnilal; daughter — Elise Frazer; Jaymel Leon- ard, Jalima Francis, Tiba Francis, Gyasi Francis, Jahmela Maduro, Jamari Maduro and Jarise Maduro; daughter — Rehenia Frazer-Phillip (Akiemba); Re- hema (Alika) Jackson, Saitah Aubain, Sencelia Renolds, Quamid (Presidente) Asani and Shaeed Gumbs; daughter — Venise Frazer; daughter — Shenika Mu- hammed; Jason And Jahni Pemberton; son — Tyrone Frazer; Bajani Frazer, Taj Mahal Frazer, Tamar Frazer, Sohi Frazer, Jahti Frazer, Iibea Frazer; son — Keith Frazer; Jarell Frazer; son — Al- bert Frazer; son — Ivan Frazer Jr.; his siblings/sister — Rehenia Joshua and Blanche Frazer; and brother — Victor Frazer. Ivan A. Frazer Muhammed Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the viewing at Christ Church Methodist on Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, at 9a.m., followed by the ser- vice at 10 a.m. Interment is at Western Cemetery No. 3. Arrangements are under the care of Hurley Funeral Home and Crema- tion Center of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, and Tortola. For directions and online condolenc- es, please visit us at www.hurleydavis. com. Diana S. Richardson Services will be held Saturday for Diana S. Richardson, 38, of St. Thom- as, who died Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, at Schneider Hospital. The first viewing will be from 5 to 7p.m. Friday at the Celestial Chapel of Hurley Funeral Home. The second view- ing will be from 9 to 10a.m. Saturday at Church of God of Prophecy in Estate Hoffman. The ser- vice will follow at Richardson 10 a.m. Interment will be in Western Cem- etery No. 2. She is survived by her mother, Sonia Coming to Join the Vi Dental Team! DEATHS Richardson; father, Romeo Richardson; siblings, Romeo, Nancy, Sharon, Louise, Karen and Lydia; nephews and nieces, Ly’Dale, Jayziah, Kerrisa, Mokesha, Aaliyah and Kayla; great aunts, Isalene Clomel Shelford, Irene and Frances Hughes, Rita Joseph and Olivia Rievere; aunts, Verna Rollins, Claudette Prince, Janetta Gumbs, Juliette, Ena, Christibell and Violet Imogen Richardson; great- uncle, Melvyn Shelford; uncles, Egbert Hood, Aubrey, David and Elroy Prince, David, Wycliffe, McIntosh, Elkin and Sanford Richardson; cousins, Albert, Yves, Egbert Jr. and Tisha Hood, Kim Rollins, Patrick and Patricia Farrel, Toya Rollins, Latrema Simon, Jermaine, Au- brey Jr., David Jr. and Lanna Prince, Di- ana Williams, Janice, Jewel, and Joslyn Gumbs, Joanna Haley, Nigel, Davida, Daniella, David, Radoykah, Radimiroh, Radiquah, Rohan, Jan, Devaunie, Daeja, Moyagaye, Udlyn, Simone, Leonardo, Ashael, Elson, Elvin, Saniqua and Casey Richardson; the Shelford, Rollins, Nibbs, Maduro and Smith families; and many other extended family and friends too nu- merous to mention. Arrangements are by Hurley Fu- neral Home and Cremation Center of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, and Tortola. For online condolences visit www. hurleydavisfuneralhome.com. Germain Petersen Services will be held Thursday for Germain Petersen, who died on De- cember 6, 2016, at her residence. She was 61. The viewing will be from 8 to 9am. in the Celestial Cha- pel at Hurley Funeral Home. The funeral Mass will follow at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Per- petual Help. She will be cremated. She is survived by her husband, Donald Petersen; children, Donald, Da- vid and Gina Petersen; daughter-in law, Dawn Petersen; grandchildren, Delano and Destini; brothers, Edward, Edmund and Edville Bryan; sisters, Jeanette Querrard, Joycelyn Harris and June Aubain; sister-in-law, Eleanor Chote; brothers-in-law, Daniel Petersen, Eddie Aubain and Alpha Harris; special fam- ily friends, Camille DeCosta and Gil- bert Laban Jr.; and many more family and friends Arrangements are by Hurley Fu- neral Home and Cremation Center of St. Thomas and St. John. For online condolences visit www.hurleydavisfu- neralhome.com. Catherine Ann Elizabeth Felix Services will be held Monday for Catherine Ann Elizabeth Felix, 93, who died on Dec. 5, 2016, at her residence. The first viewing will be from 3 to Sp.m. Sunday at Hurley Funeral Germain Petersen Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Home. The second view- ing will be from 9 to 10a.m. Monday at Saint Andrews Epis- copal Church fol- lowed by the funeral service at 10 a.m. Interment will be in Eastern Cemetery. She is survived by her brother, William Fergus; sisters, Grace Duberry, Catherine Lizzie White, and Mary Allen; children, Noelise Noel, Glendor Christine Fagan, Catherine Mat- thew, Emeline Clauretta Felix, Nilda Hector, Elsie Weeks, Joseph Fergus and Winsley Felix Sr; sons-in-Law, Patrick Hector and Thomas Noel; Grandchil- dren, Bernard and Robert Attidore; Der- tick, Jadine, and Carolyn Allen, Jacque- line and Alicia Fagan; Neuvena Cuffy and Tashina Rogers; Tamika De La Cruz, Kyle and Nathan Felix; Wakima, Yakim, and George Baptiste III, Phillip, Kristal and Keanna Hector; Damali, Shanika, and Kareem Smith, and Geneiva Weeks; Joe-Ann, Joseph Jr, J. Daly, Ja’Den Fergus; Carl and Winsley Felix, Jr.; and many more great grandchildren, relatives and friends. Arrangements are by Hurley Fu- neral Home and Cremation Center of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Tortola. For directions and online condolenc- es visit www.hurleydavisfuneralhome. com. Catherine Ann Elizabeth Felix Pediatric Dentist Or. Flavia Tingling Or. Tingling was born on the beawti-ful sunny island of Jamaica, bet shortly thereafter relocated to the cold winters of Michigan! The move was prompted by her father's educational pursuit to become an Orthodontist at The University of Michigan- Ann Ar-bor. Her mother became a dental hy-gienist when Dr. Tingling was in high school, After her completion of an undergraduate degree from the “Big House", Dr. Tingling surprised every-one and followed the path of her DNA, by becoming a dentist! She then traded the cold winters of Ann Arbor for the bright lights of New York City! She was a fellow of General Dentistry at the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery, for 2 years. It was her exposure there thal led her to pursue a specialty degree in Pediatrics. She completed her Pediatric Dentistry Resi-dency at St. Barnabas Hospital- New York Presbyterian Weil Cor-nell, Bronx, New York. Her ganuine.bove of children is evidenced by the arduous tasks she completed, to enable her to treal them ex-clusively. She fikes practicing dentistry, but LOVES rendering care to children? Board Certified Pediatric Dentists! #\idental Stay Beautiful This Holiday Season Services include: ¢ Hair Care (cuts, blow dry, extensions, etc.) * Color (highlights, texturing, etc.) ¢ Nails (manicure, pedicure, etc.) ¢ Facials ¢ Waxing (eyebrows, lips, legs, etc.) * Massage Call us! Make an Appointment! BEAUTY & SPA Princesse Plaza, St. Croix Get 50% off Keratin Treatment + 10% off All Other Services From Now Until December 31, 2016! (340) 713-0223 Monday 9am - 2pm during December Tuesday - Saturday: 9am - 6pm PWealh-ind Wilome We're hiring for qualified hair technicians and barbers. 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Tuesday, December 13, 2016 VIRGIN ISLANDS Prosecutors: white powder letters contained hoodoo curse By SUZANNE CARLSON Daily News Staff A woman facing federal criminal charges for mailing letters contain- ing white powder was attempting to place a hoodoo curse on her ene- mies, according to court documents filed by prosecutors in the case. Eugenia Winston, who is facing 32 counts of mailing threatening communications, placed “hotfoot” powder into envelopes containing subpoenas that she mailed to wit- nesses set to testify against her in a civil lawsuit against her former employer, Scotiabank, according to court documents. Hoodoo, also known as “root- work,” is a traditional African American folk spirituality that de- veloped from a number of West African spiritual traditions and be- liefs. The detail came in prosecutors’ opposition to Winston’s motion to suppress all of her statements to au- thorities, which was filed Monday. Winston has been free on unse- cured bond since Sept. 1, and her civil lawsuit against Scotiabank al- leging employment discrimination and harassment has been placed on hold until the criminal case against her is resolved. At a detention hearing on Sept. 1, Federal prosecutor Chris Fisanick said Winston’s actions were a clear threat intended to terrorize the re- cipients of the letters, and made ref- erence to the 2001 anthrax attacks. Postal Inspector Eric Oram said at the hearing that the substance was determined to be nontoxic and was likely baby powder, cornstarch, or a similar substance. Winston’s attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Gabriel Villegas, argued that Winston is the victim of an unfortunate mis- understanding, and she accidentally spilled body powder over and into the envelopes. However, Monday’s filing by federal prosecutors paints a slight- ly different picture of Winston’s Hoodoo, also known as “rootwork,” is a traditional African American folk spirituality that developed from a number of West African spiritual traditions and beliefs. actions. “Winston mailed over 30 en- velopes that contained ‘hotfoot’ powder and subpoenas to various individuals in the Virgin Islands. Hotfoot powder is a hoodoo curse designed to prevent witnesses from appearing in court to testify,” ac- cording to the filing. “Hotfoot” powder is a hoodoo practice of mixing various ingre- dients — often some combination of cayenne pepper, Sulphur, copper sulphate, cornstarch and other ele- ments — which is believed to drive away enemies. Commercial ver- sions of the powder also are avail- able for sale online. Recipients of Winston’s letters were mainly witnesses who might testify against Winston in her law- suit against Scotiabank, and also in- cluded U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller, the legal counsel for Scotia- bank and Winston’s former counsel in her suit against Scotiabank, ac- cording to prosecutors. Because the envelopes had a return address of the U.S. Court- house on St. Thomas, “despite the fact that Winston was serving these subpoenas herself,” some of the en- velopes that could not be delivered were returned to the courthouse and opened by staff there, according to prosecutors. “Believing the powder to be an- thrax or some other deadly biologi- cal toxin, the United States Court- house was evacuated and closed; IN STOCK PS4 - XBOX ONE S - Wil U - VITA & NEW 3DS XL & CASES GAMES, ACCESSORIES, CONTROLLER. VITA SD CARDS, SPECIAL ORDERING AFTER REGISTRATION GeSMedicine quoppe’S PHARMACY the employees in the courthouse who were exposed to the powder were quarantined for hours,” ac- cording to the filing. The incident caused significant disruption at the courthouse and at the private law office of attorney Bennett Chan near the West Indian Co. cruise ship dock. “The purpose of lacing these en- velopes with hotfoot powder was to instill fear and intimidation in the witnesses to prevent their testify- ing against Winston,” according to prosecutors’ filing. The filing does not indicate how authorities determined the sub- stance in the envelopes was hotfoot powder or what ingredients were in the powder. Winston admitted to FBI in- vestigators shortly after the enve- lopes were received that she was the sender. But Villegas has filed a motion to suppress all of her state- ments to law enforcement, saying she was not properly advised of her right to avoid self-incrimination. But prosecutors shot back in Monday’s filing, saying there is no evidence in a video-recorded inter- view with Winston that authorities did not properly advise her of her rights or attempt to intimidate her to give a statement in any way. Villegas wrote in his motion that “the videotaped interview speaks for itself.” However, prosecutors wrote that “the most cursory view of Winston’s video recorded interview with law enforcement agents establishes be- yond cavil that Winston was never coerced, was properly and repeat- edly advised of her rights, and consciously waived those rights,” according to Monday’s filing. “The first thirty seconds of the interview wholly defeats Winston’s meritless motion.” Winston is scheduled to go to trial on Jan. 11 before U.S. District Judge Juan Sanchez. — Contact Suzanne Carlson at 340-714-9122 or email scarlson@ dailynews.vi. Havensight Mall, Bldg 4, St. Thomas (340) 776-1235 Open Monday - Saturday ¢ 9am - 6pm The Virgin Islands Daily News 9 wekeo,, Inter — ioe aes inc. ako. erry Schedule a Tortola i Departs Red Hook / St. John Day West End, Tortola 7:15 a.m. / Non-Stop Mon - Sun 8:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. / 8:30 a.m. 9:15 a.m. 11:00 a.m. / 11:30 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 3:00 p.m. / 3:30 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 4:00 p.m. / 4:30 p.m. Sun 5:15 p.m. 4:30 p.m. / Non-Stop Mon - Sun 4:30 p.m. / 5:00 p.m. Fri Mon - Sun Mon - Sun Mon - Thurs, Sat 5:30 p.m. Virgin Gorda Thursdays & Sundays Departs Red Hook, St. Thomas Departs St. John 8:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. Departs Virgin Gorda 3:00 p.m. Anegada 1st Sunday of Month (by reservation only) Departs Red Book, St. Thomas Departs St, John 7:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. Departs Anegada 4:00 p.m. Departs Red Hook, St. Thomas 8:00 a.m. (Fri & Sun) 2:00 p.m. (Fri) 4:00 p.m. (Sun) Departs $t. John 8:30 am. (Fri & Sun) 2:20 p.m. (Fri) 4:30 p.m. (Sun) Mon - Wed & Sat 8:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. Departs Jost Van Dyke 9:15 a.m. (Fri & Sun) 3:00 p.m. (Fri) 5:30 p.m. (Sun) 8:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 9:15 a.m. 4:00 p.m. St. John: (340) 776-6597 —B.W.I.: (284) 495-4166 St. Thomas: (340) 774-4727 Email: [email protected] Website: www.interislandboatservices.vi Proof of citizenship required. Acceptable are Passports, Passport Cards or Belonger's Cards. Check-in time is 1/2 hour before departure. Red Hook departs 1/2 hour before St. John. BVI taxes not included. Prices are subject to change. I>, aN 125, Ey) ANEGADA, BVI DAY TRIP! January 1st Adults $135 Children $90 “Departure taxes not included” Departs: Red Hook at 7:30am and St. John at 8:00am Returns from Anegada at 4:00pm For reservations, call us at: 340-776-6597 or 340-774-4727 www.interislandboatservices.com HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014506

10 The Virgin Islands Daily News The Cuban Scientific Expedition to the Virgin Islands in 1951 was documented by archaeologists Oswaldo |. Morales Patiho, above, and Fernando Royo Guardia, and subsequently translated and annotated many years later for the Virgin Islands Ar chaeological Society in its Journal number 5 (1978) by Alfredo E. Figueredo. Morales Patifio was president of the National Board of Archaeology and Ethnology within the Ministry of Culture and Education from 1951-1955. During that same period, Royo Guardia served first as secretary and then treasurer. The visiting Cuban scien- tists were part of a commission formed, among other objectives, to study and identify possible routes through which prehistoric cultures may have reached Cuba, to seek evidence of the presence of common Cuban influences in Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and to ascertain the spread of Carib influence and identify the culture found by Colum- bus on St. Croix. Welcomed in the Virgin Islands by Gov. Morris de Castro, they visited and examined four sites. On St. Thomas, they judged the Magens Bay site to be Arawakan culture with a few Igneri specimens. Administrator Harry E. Taylor accompanied the visitors on St. Croix, where they viewed three more sites: Christiansted environs where they exam- ined and collected a number of rimsherds and shell samples; the Salt River midden, with its French fort earthworks foundation, where they were able to excavate pottery, stone, shell and shell bead specimens; and Estate Richmond, where they viewed artifacts, including some Igneri pottery, obtained by the owners from Salt River and from an Indian site on the estate. Ac- cording to Figueredo, the “importance of this work (by the Cubans) is not due solely to its reports of archaeological remains, however; it is also a historical document, offering us interesting information on the state of affairs, beliefs, and personalities of its time. The Cubans came during one of our minor dark ages — when archaeo- logical work had come to a near standstill, and the history and historiography of the (Virgin Islands) ... were in abject abandon.” Katheryne Brooks Kay-Willock, archaeologist with the Conservation and Cultural Affairs Department, studies the remains of what is believed to be 1,000-yearold skeleton located at Hull Bay beach in 1974 in St. Thomas, at a proposed condominium project. Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Virgin Islands laborers excavate pre-historic deposits at Magens Bay, St. Thomas. Photo courtesy of THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, OUR NEW POSSESSIONS The “ribbon-sealed” bottle, a PF Heering Company “Heering's Cherry Cordial” bottle produced in the period 1835-1850, was recovered from the harbor in St. Thomas, where many such items have been discarded over the centuries. The Schenectady (New York) Gazette of Jan. 7, 1981, reported an upcoming lecture presentation to the Na- tional Bottle Museum Society in Ballston Spa, N.Y., on the “Bur ied Treasures of St. Thomas.” The newspaper reported that lecturer Gary T. Stephenson “re- cently returned from the Virgin Islands where he provided con- sulting services to an individual who has unearthed over 3,000 bottles from an old community dump. The collection dates back to 1700. ‘| have never seen so many bottles come out of one dig, said Stephenson, vice president of the museum society. Bottles in the collection come from Paris, London, Mar tinique, Canada, Germany and the U.S.A. They graphically illus- trate the history of St. Thomas, showing evidence of worldwide trade and commerce. The St. Thomas collection is considered to be the fifth largest collection in the U.S’ Photo courtesy of VAGN PETERSEN'S DANISH BOTTLES HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014507

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 The Virgin Islands Daily News 11 inci : 2 Fort Salé (formerly Fort Fort Sale : Flamand) at the entrance to Salt River in St. Croix is the oldest intact colonial earthwork fort under 3 United States authority. It Ancient Taino ceremonial is-also believed to be the ball court and plaza only extant earthwork fort in the entire Caribbean. Begun circa 1640 by the English, it was occupied in turn by the Dutch, then the French. The fortifications lie directly adjacent to the Columbus landing site and an ancient Taino ceremonial ball court and plaza. All these features are part of the National Park System's Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, co-owned by and managed under an agree- ment with the government of the Virgin Islands. The Daily News of May 13, 1938, reported the 1934 discov- ery by Alvarez Julien of skeletal remains and pottery sherds on Water Island. Based upon the direct association of shells, stone implements and pottery in the area, Julien suspected the remains to be Carib Indian in origin. In 1936 he brought news of his find to the atten- tion of J.C. Trevor, who was conducting field work on the Negroes of the Eastern Carib- bean under his fellowship in thy | t North t University. The skeletal remains An old scale found on St. John and donated to Cruz Bay Museum on July had been re-interred and while 4 2 8, 1974, by Russel Dennem. all could not be relocated, those that could were donated by Julien to Oxford University for further identification and study. Provisionally they were classified as pre-Columbian with further characteristics to be defined and confirmed. The images above and others appeared in the article “Skel- etal Remains from the Virgin Islands” in the April 1938 issue of “Man, A Monthly Record of Anthropological Science,’ pub- lished by the Royal Anthropo- logical Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (Vol. XXXVIII, 47-65). According to The Daily News, : ‘ aes Ris Virgin Islands “Governor Law- pot a eS as rence Cramer gave permission TWO SKULLS FROM THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. Photo courtesy of ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE OF THE ISLAND OF ST. JOHN, for the material to be excavated 1-8 male : 2-4 female : abet one-thint waturot size. UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS, PLATE VII and sent to England” Petroglyphs at Congo Cay, north of Cruz Bay off St. John. About the Images: Images provided by the Territorial Archives of the Government of the Virgin Islands, a unit of the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. Additional images sourced as otherwise noted. For more information on the holdings of the Territorial Archives, contact Territorial Archivist Susan Lugo at 340-774-0630, or email [email protected]. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014508

22 The Virgin Islands Daily News ST. CROIX ST. JOHN Gerry Yandel, Executive Editor Ken E. Ryan, Production Director Onneka Challenger, Circulation Director he Virgin Islands DAILY ®NEWS A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Newspaper Founded Aug. 1, 1930, by J. Antonio Jarvis and Ariel Melchior Sr. Published by Daily News Publishing Co., Inc. Archie Nahigian, President EDITORIAL BOARD What's the speed limit ST. THOMAS TORTOLA J. Lowe Davis, Editor At Large Lisa Jamil, Advertising Director Juanita Young, Controller on Magens Bay Road? Is it how fast you can run? What do the new Magen Bay signs mean? Public Works installed four of these signs on Magens Bay Road in November in response to the speed- ing problem. According to the Merriam-Web- ster dictionary the abbreviation of miles per hour is “mph” and there should be a number in front of mph designating the speed. On these signs, the number is omitted, so Lori Emery drivers have no idea what the speed limit is. St. Thomas is an international destination, and we have contem- porary street signs that use symbols for walkers, joggers, bicycles etc. I know we can do better in the signage department on Magens Bay Road. — Lori Emery, St. Thomas See Your Views In Print The Daily News is always interested in publishing local views on topics of general interest, and we especially welcome commentary on issues affecting the Virgin Islands and its people, culture, businesses and government. Send Letters, Essays, Halos and Pitchforks, Cartoons or other original material about local issues of general interest to [email protected] The Daily News’ opinions are expressed only in its editorials. The opinions expressed in columns, letters, cartoons and guest editorials are those of the particular author or artist. OPINIONS Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Where will Trump venture for his first state visit? Barbara Streisand and Lena Dun- ham may be some of the higher profile Trumpfugees leaving the country and heading to Justin Trudeau’s Canada. What is less certain is if a President Donald Trump will make Ottawa his first foreign port of call — a long- standing presidential and foreign policy tradition. Post-election, Trudeau quickly called to congratulate PEOTUS Trump on his victory and the Canadian tweet- ed, “(W)e agreed to meet soon to keep building the Canada-US relationship.” Trump may want to use the high- visibility first trip to do something other than affirm tradition and reflect the importance and strength of US.- Canadian ties. He may want to make a grand strategy statement, letting the world know that he is going to shake- up the global status quo. Calls to Taiwan, support for the Phil- ippines President Rodrigo Duterte and meeting with Japan’s Shinzo Abe have already shaken up the foreign policy establishment's rules for protocol, as well as approaches to human rights and global power relations. All this well- before Trump has even been sworn-in. Once in office, Ronald Reagan be- gan the tradition of new U.S. presidents making Canada the first foreign presi- dential visit. George W. Bush notably broke from this tradition, making his first stop Mexico, a country he knew well. He also hoped his trip and Cinco de Mayo parties on the White House lawn would attract Latino voters to the Republican Party. Trump has already been to Mexico, met with President Pena Nieto, got- ten a great presidential photo-op and made his talking points. It is unlikely he will be heading south of the border first. Making a splash abroad will likely require a large rally — similar or bigger than candidate Barack Obama’s visit to Berlin in the summer of 2008 — and may be chosen based on the right mix of pomp, circumstance, strategy and significance. If two big border nations are knocked REMEMBER WHEN WE REVERED AMERICANS WHo HAD THE RIGHT STUFF? Markos Kounalakis out of the running for the primary re- ception of America’s new head of state, where might he go first? There are any number of early sup- porters in other countries who could be rewarded and elevated by a presidential visit. The scramble to send invitations to Trump Tower has already begun. UK. Prime Minister Theresa May is considering an invitation on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. Trump’s friend- ship with and preference for Brexit leader Nigel Farage as Britain’s next diplomatic envoy will require Trump to balance Buckingham Palace pageantry, the “‘special relationship,” Brexit forces and a potentially restive urban populace before deciding to touch down in Lon- don Town. Numerous foreign leaders supported Trump’s candidacy early on, mostly opposition politicians. A few, however, are running countries. They include Hungary’s Viktor Orban, North Ko- rea’s Kim Jong Un, Zimbabwe’s Rob- ert Mugabe and, of course, Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Rewarding them with an American inaugural visit would be revolutionary and could set in motion dramatic changes in how America’s global relations, alliances and power balancing is perceived and conducted. Big, bold, groundbreaking unprec- edented moves were the hallmark of Trump’s campaign: Is there a reason to believe he would take a different ap- proach to governing? Trump’s brand of politics is proudly unconventional — from his brand management business to his Fifth Avenue transition tower to his tweet-centric campaign. Where will he go? Japan, Russia, China, Italy, Germany, France — may- be even India, Australia or Argentina? Tipping favor toward any of the G8 member countries other than Canada for a “first visit” would create both new foreign policy opportunities and challenges. To avoid granting any nation the favor of a first foray, however, he may decide never to leave the country at all, requiring all foreign leaders visit him at Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago, the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster ... or maybe even the White House. — Markos Kounalakis is a senior fellow at Central European University and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. Contact him at [email protected] Employers should not impose religious views on employees In my opinion, Philadelphia Arch- bishop Charles Chaput is wrong in his view that religious liberty in the United States is under attack (Phila- delphia Inquirer and Philly.com, Dec. 8, 2016). Religious institutions are free to believe and preach whatever they want. I think that what they are not free to do is impose those beliefs on their employees. For example, a Catholic-affiliated Richard Carroll organization may believe that contra- ception is immoral, but I don’t think that organization should be allowed to block its female employees, who may or may not be Catholic, from access to contraception through its medical insurance plans. I worked for a Catholic organiza- tion (the Knights of Columbus) for HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014509 30 years. Its 600 employees — most of whom were non-Catholic women — had access to contraceptive cover- age through the employer-provided health plan. Freedom of religion means free- dom not to have your employer’s religious views imposed on you. — Richard Carroll, a part-time St. Thomas resident, is the former Associate General Counsel of the Knights of Columbus

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 e Page 24 Lighted Bo Boats festooned for Christmas wow spectators during the Lighted Boat Parade on Saturday along the Christiansted boardwalk on St. Croix. Above, the crew on Time Out waves to the crowd. Left, Santa makes an appearance. Top left, Live the Dash delivers a message of peace. Winning entries were: Sail Boats, first place, Time Out; Power Catamarans, first place, Adventure, second place, Gemini/Century; Power Boats Under 25 Feet, first place, Saorise, second, Checkmate; Power Boats 26-32 Feet, first place, Firefly; Power Boats 33-39 Feet, first place, Benita, second place, Golden Eagle; Power Boats 40 Feet, first place, Irie Feelin, second place, Milemark/Rotary; Power Boats 41+ Feet, first place, Reliance (SCUBA), second place, Renewed Interest; Best Lights, a tie between Living the Dream and the U.S. Coast Guard; Best Decora- tions, La Vie En Rose; Best Animation, Cat Chi; Best Music, Turn & Burn; Best Creativity, Live the Dash; and Best Boat Overall, Heineken Barge. Daily News photos by ROB JONES Tribute to a V.I. leader Send us your Island Life news, events and photos The community paid tribute to the late Mulo Alwani _ The Daily News is expanding : oe an aaa on Friday with a memorial service gathering at its Island Life section. . ‘ the Mark C. Marin Center at Antilles School on St. Do you have an event, a celebration, or Ro =) = Thomas. Alwani, the president of the India Associa- a milestone, including a birth, graduation, "ee ee] tion of the Virgin Islands and a longtime community wedding, retirement, award, honor or military \ L ; : | leader, died on Nov. 19 in Miami after a bout with accomplishment you'd like to share? i Cancer, He was 79. _ Maybe you have a photo from around our Saal } 0 ; | Alwani, the former owner of Artistic Jewelers in islands you think our readers would like to 1) Charlotte Amalie, had served on the Schneider see, whether it’s a beautiful sunset, a big in A Medical Center governing board and was a leader in catch or people just having fun in the sun. is | e i the Rotary and the Masonic Lodge. He was remem- Help us celebrate our community " — q bered as the “godfather of the Indian community” by sending us your contributions a 4 & ‘ os as well as a friend and a mentor to many. to [email protected]. The possibilities are endless. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014510

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Ulla F Muller students attend a pep rally to roll out the school's Positive Be- havior Support and Interventions initiative on Nov. 30 on St. Thomas. Ulla F. Muller students pledge good behavior Ulla F Muller Elementary School rolled out its Panther PRIDE Positive Behavior Support and Interventions (PBIS) initiative at a pep rally at the school on Noy. 30. The fun, high-ener- gy event laid the groundwork to teach students the behaviors that make up a positive school environment. Administrators taught the students the core values of the school through PRIDE: P — positive behaviors, R — respect, I — individual responsibility, D — determination and E — excellence. Students held signs depicting the val- ues while Muller cheerleaders and the Boys & Girls Club performed to rally around the cause. St. Thomas-St. John PBIS district coach Darian Torrice-Hairston, who is assigned to Ulla F. Muller Elementary, praised the event. “As the PBIS dis- trict coach for Ulla F Muller Elemen- tary School, I have certainly caught the Panther PRIDE! It was evident that the administration, staff and students exhibited their Positive Behavior, Re- spect, Individual Responsibility, Deter- mination and Excellence. PBIS and its strategies are a priority at Muller and they are working hard to implement the program as it fits their school,” she said Following the rally, teachers will continue to instill the Panther PRIDE principles in students on a daily ba- OK UCH sis as well as demonstrate what Pan- ther PRIDE looks in each area of the school. School staff will integrate the Panther PRIDE language into daily routines to encourage students to strive for excellence. The PBIS initiative is rooted in evi- dence-based practices meant to increase behavioral and academic outcomes by improving school climate, preventing problematic behavior, increasing learn- ing time and promoting positive social skills. Up to five members from each school were selected to attend training facilitated by PBIS coaches from the state and district. School representatives were tasked with producing positive be- havior values unique to their institutions and introduce them to teachers and stu- dents. The goal of the PBIS initiative is to focus on what the students do right, rather than on what they do wrong to help encourage the repetition of good behavior. As Muller Elementary continues to support its students through PBIS, additional phases of the initiative will be introduced, such as a positive re- ward system as well as ceremonies to celebrate student and staff success. With the help of the district coach, Muller’s in-house PBIS task force will guide the PBIS initiative to sup- port the school. ERS Wholesale & Retail ISLAND LIFE The Virgin Islands Daily News 25 id vue be Central High School students that participated in this year’s “Close Up Washington” trip to Washington, D.C., include Ethaliah Henry, Jenna Malcomb, Nathan McGregor, Destiny Stout, Martisha Charles, Pellis Leonard, Franchel Ro- driguez, Jayla Norman, Khaiel James and N’Quelle Golden. History teacher Ericka Hansen is the Close Up adviser. Students get ‘close up’ with democracy Students enrolled in the St. Croix Central High School Close Up orga- nization recently returned from the na- tion’s capital where they attended the Close Up Washington flagship pro- gram. The group of 11 traveled Nov. 13-19 and joined with other Close Up high school chapters from across the country to learn about the American democratic process. Central High School history teacher and Close Up advisor Ericka Hansen took 10 students on the annual trip, which gives high school students and educators an inside look at their democ- racy in action. Using the nation’s capital as their living classroom, program par- ticipants get a “close up” view of gov- ernment processes and places that make the district unique and functional. Students visited the Washington Monument, Martin Luther King Me- HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014511 morial, the Smithsonian, U.S. Capi- tol, Arlington National Cemetery, the White House and more. Students also participated in political discussions and met with members of Congress. The program provided social activities for the students in the evening. Founded in 1971, the Close Up orga- nization has provided more than 825,000 students with educational tours about government and the political processes. “Where We “Express “Your Gmation “Ghrough Flowers. www.flowers.vi ¢ (340) 774-9370 Frenchtown Plaza © across from the Frenchtown Post Office All major credit cards accepted and worldwide deliveries

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 ISLAND LIFE Crowley Caribbean Services went to the Oswald Harris Court neighborhood on St. Thomas recently on behalf of the Crowley Cares Foundation and spent time sprucing up the Boys and Girls Club. Crowley personnel from St. Thomas, St. Croix, and the states helped to clean up and paint the facility and donated furniture for the children to use for their arts and craft programs. The Crowley Cares Foundation allows employees to make monthly contributions, which the company matches, to nonprofit groups in the communities Crowley serves as a cargo carrier. Crowley also delivered a check to help the club purchase a laptop computer. In addition to the contributions, employees donate their time to community groups like the Boys and Girls Club. Students’ cultural calendar also marks V.I. centennial The students of the St. Croix Educational Complex are work- ing on a collaborative project to celebrate the upcoming centen- nial anniversary of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Called the Virgin Islands Cul- tural Contributors Calendar Cre- ation and Theatrical Performance, he project consists of a 12-month calendar featuring 12 V.I. cultural contributors, accompanied by live interviews. Visual arts, drama and speech eachers Danica David and Say- eeda Carter are the directors of he project and are using students from their classes and the school’s Art Club to bring the vision to life. Art Club students will use pho- ographs of selected participants o create mixed media portraits for the calendar. Simultaneously, Carter’s drama and speech stu- dents will conduct interviews with the participants that will be used to create brief write-ups to go along with the graphics. The cultural contributors were selected based on being natives of the Virgin Islands or residents for at least 15 years and also active contributors to the development of Virgin Islands’ culture through fine arts, education, literature, and history. The students will formally pres- The Virgin Islands Cultural Contribu- tors 2017 calendar is available at St. Croix Educational Complex for $12. ent the finished project at a recep- tion that will feature an art exhibi- tion and theatrical performances embracing V.I. culture and hon- oring the contributors. The event will take place at St. Croix Educa- tional Complex in January. Calen- dars are available at the school in December for $12 each. The educator duo, David and Carter, developed the project so Virgin Islands students could learn about the individuals in their community that aid in the advancement of local culture. The calendar is expected to be pro- duced annually. The project is sponsored by Ro- tary Club of St. Croix, Mid Isle and the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands. T H E F L oO oO R F A Cc T oO R Y The home of great looking TILES and even better looking sales people. LOL... WORTH EVERY STEP 340-776-8787 Sub Base, STT M-F 8:30-4:30 ¢ S 8-1 [email protected] The Virgin Islands Daily News 27 Magazine reprint celebrates centennial To celebrate the centennial of the transfer of government from Den- mark to the U.S., the St. Thomas-St. John Friends of Denmark Society announces the facsimile publica- tion of a commemorative magazine printed by the society in 1967. The title is “50 Years: St. Thomas Friends of Denmark Society.” The chairperson of the maga- zine committee was Eldra L.M. Shulterbrandt. Articles by Omar Brown, Fred Gjessing, Bill La- Motta, Francesca Greve, Gertrude Dudley, Rabbi Sasso and Enid Baa are featured in the magazine. Eldra Schulterbrandt wrote “Quo Vadis” and Gov. Ralph Paiewonsky’s stir- ring “What is Virgin Islander,” is printed in full. The editor was Carlos Dowling, with design and layout by Ira Smith. Even the advertisements provide a peek at the islands’ past. The restoration of the initial maga- zine, including the mixed coloring of the pages, was made possible through digitalization by Bill and Frannie Newbold of Island Business Graph- ics. It’s an accurate reproduction of the WEDNESDAY LOCALS NITE EOP NOTCH AMAZING SUNSETS GREAT FOODS LIVE ENTERTAINMENT SKYRIDE TO” PARADISE POINT HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014512 original. The magazines are $25 and are available at the V.I. Children’s Mu- seum, Frenchtown Museum and My Brother’s Workshop Bakery on Back Street downtown and in Red Hook at Chelsea Drug Store and Sandra’s Secretarial Service — Lock and Blade. Additional sites will be an- nounced. Members of the society will also have copies to sell. Where you're always welcome! Behind the hospital. 340-776-3678 . fortressvi.com Ee

30 The Virgin Islands Daily News ISLAND LIFE Holiday Happenings St. Croix Arthur A. Richards Jr. High School Music Department pres- ents Christmas Concert 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the school’s auditorium, featuring the Concert Band, Choir, Steel Band and cheer- leaders. The Youth Band Dance En- semble of St. Patrick’s School will make a special guest appearance. John H. Woodson Junior High School invites parents, guardians, and the St. Croix community to its 2016 Christmas Concert, featur- ing the Concert Band and the Touch of Love Chorale in the school’s au- ditorium on Thursday at 7 p.m. The December PTA meeting will precede the concert at 5:30 p.m. Torah scribe at synagogue The Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas welcomes Sofer Rabbi Druin from 5 to 7 p.m. this evening. Druin is in St. Thomas to help the synagogue maintain its historic Torahs and invites you to come learn and ask about the work of the Torah scribe, a 300-year- old craft. For information email info@ synagogue.vi or call 340-774-4312. The second annual Holiday Fest will take place on Friday from 3 p.m. to midnight at Buddhoe Park, band- stand and Strand Street in Frederik- sted. Come shop and make it a pic- ture-perfect day with Santa Claus. Vendors are welcome. Contact 340- 778-1012, ext. 6200 or 6206 for more information. The Tourism Department, in collaboration with the Frederiksted Economic Development Associa- tion, presents a Community Holiday Giveback with Sunset Jazz at Bud- dhoe Park on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, go to visitusvi. com. St. Thomas Pistarckle Theater presents Briefs AARP meets on Saturday AARP St. Thomas Chapter 3138 has rescheduled its regular meeting from Dec. 24 to Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the sun room at Schneider Hospital. The newly elected executive officers and board members will be installed. Beer & Bacon Bacchanal Worldwide West and Island Vibes Seasons Greetings! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! “The Nutcracker” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sun- day. For tickets visit www.pistarckle- theater.com or call 340-775-7877. Miracle on Main Street cel- ebrates its 24th year on Friday in downtown Charlotte Amalie, featur- ing musicians, culinary delights and shopping. For more information, or to become a sponsor, contact the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Com- merce at 340-776-0100 or email [email protected]. Sea View Nursing Home will host its annual Christmas Gala on Dec. 22 at the facility on St. Thomas. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m. and pre- sentations will follow at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Simone Edwards at 340-777-3303. Summer Camp invite you to a Beer & Bacon Bacchanal at The Shops at Yacht Haven Grande pool on Satur- day from noon to 6 p.m. For more information on how to participate, volunteer or become a_ sponsor, call 340-626-3729, visit www. facebook.com/USVIcamp or email islandvibessummercamp@gmail. com. Ay ee me WE’RE OPEN! Complete repair and refinishing of all upholstery furniture: Home « Office *« Chairs « Sofas « Outdoor Furniture Boat & Marine « Cushions Custom Upholstery HILDA CAMACHO, Owner 8012 Starboard Street,Christiansted, St. Croix - (340) 719-4961 Tuesday, December 13, 2016 The St. John Singers will perform two holiday concerts with guest soprano Laura Strickling on Dec. 21 at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cruz Bay and on Dec. 23 at Emmaus Moravian Church in Coral Bay. St. John Singers welcome guest soprano for holiday concerts The St. John Singers are celebrat- ing their 35th anniversary with a special guest at two holiday con- certs during the week preceding Christmas. Soprano Laura Strickling, who has a home on St. Thomas, will be per- forming with the choir at their annual concerts in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay on St. John. Strickling has been described as possessing “‘a flexible voice, crystal- line diction, and warm presence” by a reviewer in the New York Times. She has received numerous awards for her performances of opera, classical and contemporary music. “We were very lucky to get her,” said Janice Ballard, who has directed the St. John Singers for the last five years. “She was on St. Thomas and had only a four-day window between other engagements to sing with us.” The singers’ selections will include carols from around the world, and in keeping with the tradition, the audi- ence will be invited to sing along with the choir on a medley of holiday songs. This year the choir will be accom- panied on piano by Arboris de Jesus, a talented young musician who was born in Puerto Rico and raised on St. Thomas. She now studies music at Lawrence University. The St. John Singers concerts will be held on Dec. 21 at Naza- reth Lutheran Church in Cruz Bay, and on Dec. 23 at Emmaus Mora- vian Church in Coral Bay. Both concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which are available at the door, are $20. Children are admit- ted for free. ) NV & Ae Fa lon? AT PELICAN COVE PalmsPelicanCove.com * STX 340.718.8920 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014513

Ravens-Patriots in AFC showdown page 24 | Alabama, Ohio State lead All-America team pase 33 ALEXANDER LENARD, M.D. Ge Virgin Islands Daily News BOARD CERTIFIED ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON Sports Tuesday, December 13, 2016 APR com ORTHOP, © Fellowship-Trained Spine Surgeon © Expertise in Trauma, Spine, and Spine Stenosis Surgery Accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Core, Inc. Visit our website at www.COGVI.com. ST. JOHN al f ANGUILLA TORTOLA wilding Su STX Educational Complex takes fy. oniinr" win over PR.'s Juncos Broncos __ PR. Nationals By BILL KISER By DAVID EDOLE Daily News Sports Editor Special to the Daily News Swimmers from two Virgin Is- lands swim teams brought home a combined 49 medals from the Puer- to Rico Short Course National Championships, held Dec. 2-4 at the San Juan Na- tatorium. The St. Thomas Swim Associa- tion (STSA) team = finished eighth #7 ee 3 overall in the Webster Bozzo combined team scoring, while the St. Croix Dolphins (SCD) came in 12th. Puerto Rico’s Bayamon Swimming Team won the overall team title. St. Thomas swimmers won 13 events, finished second in seven events and third in five others. St. Croix swimmers won in eight events, and finished second in eight others and third in eight events. St. Croix’s Webster Bozzo led all the Virgin Islands swimmers with five gold medals, posting the top ST. CROIX — The St. Croix Ed- ucational Complex High School’s tackle football exacted some revenge for the Virgin Is- lands, roughing up Puerto Rico’s Juncos Broncos, 20-8, on Saturday night. The Barracu- das, behind the duo of Vernon j Clarke and Cris- 4. tian Perez, ran Scott Cofiell out to a 14-0 half- time lead. Clarke, Complex’s quarterback, called his own number in scoring on an 18-yard run. He then handed off to Perez, the Barricudas’ tailback, who scampered for a 12-yard score. The extra points were good by Ro- land Richards both rushing, but were awarded one point each. “We didn’t know that the National Federation of High Schools changed the rules on extra points,” said Edu- cational Complex head coach Scott times in the boys 15-16 division in Cofiell. “The new rule is one point the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, for a rushing and two for passing.” ee a $A AS mm 100- and 200-meter freestyle, and Complex poured it on in the sec- ‘ : ‘ Phato:couttesy SCOTT COPIELL the 200-meter individual medley. He ond half when defensive end Antonio St. Croix Educational Complex High School quarterback Vernon Clarke, center, hands off to tailback Cristian Perez also finished second in the 100-meter during Saturday's game against the Juncos Broncos at Pista Atletica Municipal de Juncos in Puerto Rico. The See BARRICUDAS, page 35 Barricudas went on to take a 20-8 victory over the Broncos. See SWIM, page 35 ——_ y ap — \ Cut this out! ? Drive with care. / HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014514

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 BARRICUDAS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 Polanco picked up a fumble and re- turned it for score to push the Bar- ricudas’ lead to 20-0. “Our defense played very well,” Cofiell said. “Aderemi Flores had an interception and had a couple of returns of 40 yards. Lejoni Williams was all over the field and led us in tackles.” The Broncos added a late touch- down from Diego Luna and two- point conversion from Hernan Velez for the final score. “T was playing all my guys at that point,” Cofiell said. “I wanted to give everyone the experience of playing in Puerto Rico.” After the game, the Broncos set up a meet-and-greet between both team and an innovative idea came out of it. “They took care of us all week- end,” Cofiell said. “They gave us a place to stay and ground transporta- tion. They even took us sightseeing of old San Juan before being dropped at the airport. “We invited them to come to St. Croix and play us during the Vir- gin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship weekend; hopefully it could be a yearly thing. Either they come one year or we go, this was a positive ex- perience for us.” “This was an amazing event,” Juncos head coach Manuel Santiago said. “We were very happy to host them and we enjoyed them, too. This was an excellent opportunity to open our relationship and we are working on coming to St. Croix in October.” St. Thomas schools Charlotte Amalie and Eudora Kean, the 2016 St. Thomas-St. John IAA champs, The Virgin Islands Daily News 35 Photo courtesy SCOTT COFIELL The players and coaches from the St. Croix Educational Complex and Juncos Broncos football teams gather at midfield for a postgame photo after the Barricudas’ 20-8 win over the Broncos on Saturday at Pista Atletica Municipal de Juncos in Puerto Rico. played teams from Puerto Rico last month, losing to the Dorado Spartans and University Garden Dolphins, re- spectively, in games played at Lionel Roberts Stadium. “I think we should have a com- bined league with Puerto Rico,” Co- fiell said. “We play one home and one away every year. Look, our ticket cost $150, that’s not much more than fly- ing to St. Thomas. It could be done. But before we approach Puerto Rico, we would need a unified league be- tween St. Thomas and St. Croix agreeing on stuff to make it happen. Then we could move on to Puerto Rico, They are not that far away. “They are more Puerto Rican teams than Virgin Islands teams. A mixed schedule will have to be created with a Caribbean champion between the winners of each league. People are re- ally interested in playing in football. If we're going to grow, we need to play good teams to get better and Puerto Rico has been playing a while.” The Puerto Rico High School Foot- ball League is presently comprised of seven teams — Antilles High School, Baldrich Comets, Parque Central Bluewaves, Parkville Steelers, Jun- cos Broncos, Dorado Spartans and the University Gardens Dolphins. SWIM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 individual backstroke. Mary Killman led St. Thomas with four gold medals, winning in the girls 19-under division in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter backstroke, and the 200-meter individual medley. 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