US Virgin Islands
[singlepic id=4817 w=180 h=40 mode=web20 float=left]Good morning! This is Alex Randall with Good News Headlines
Is the Commuter Incentive Tax Regressive?
At hearings on the Commuter Incentive Tax, Senator Liburd said the bill would eliminate the 4% gross receipts tax on auto purchases and raise the taxes at registration time by 25 cents per pound. Rocky says it is regressive and shifts the tax burden from the auto dealer to the owner. It would raise the cost of a new car by 500 to 900 dollars. 02/21/97 7:38 AM
Are Taxi Drivers Rude?
Are the taxi drivers rude to airport passengers. Winston Parker says they have made progress on the top complaint of visitors that they drivers are rude and they can’t ride directly to their destination. But pulling people out of a taxi to enforce a Temporary Restraining Order is rude and Judge Hodge says Don’t pull people out of taxi cabs. Parker says his association wants a chance to prove themselves. For more on the taxi topic Tonight on We the People, Andre’s Guest will be Keith Massac, that’s at 6:30 on WSTA. 02/21/97 8:42 AM
Department of Education is not “DEAD”
Liston Davis says the Department of Education is not dead. It is not ready for burial. Davis testified the Education budget dropped to 112 million and 106 million is committed to salaries. That leaves 6 million dollars to do everything else. Davis’s major projects include: restructuring the junior high schools, changing the high rate of teacher absenteeism, developing a pool of substitute teachers and school security. Liston Davis also said that the Commission on Education will deliver its final report to the Governor in April on the 3rd. 02/20/97 4:32 PM
Take Me Too – No Junket
Senator Gomez wants to make sure the upcoming Seatrade Cruise Convention doesn’t turn into a political junket. Gomez wrote Commissioner Whisonant saying we can’t our position in the cruise industry for granted. We need a serious marketing effort at this conference. Oh, and she added, “it’s important that I attend this convention” 02/20/97 3:22 PM
New Brewery Raises Concerns
Will the Santa Cruz Brewery disrupt the neighborhood at LaGrange in St. Croix. Fredriksted Administrator Lawrence Bastian held meetings with residents to hear their concerns. There was little publicity that the new business was opening and Bastian joined residents in a tour of Santa Cruz Brewery to assuage their concerns. 02/21/97 7:47 am
MathCounts
All Saints won the first round of MathCounts Contest sponsored by Rotary 2. The team composed of Jalani Nelson, Justin Wheatley, Dareem Potter and Brandi Marsh will represent St. Thomas in the Territorial Competition. On St. Croix, the Country Day students showed their Math stuff and they will represent St. Croix in the finals.
Arson Prevention Works
That Class on Arson Prevention – It really Worked. Remember the class for the fire service about arson investigation. Well, they must have learned all about it. The Fire Services Investigators along with Police Forensic Unit and Major crime unit arrested one arsonist yesterday and credited the useful things they learned in class. 02/20/97 2:22 PM
Federal Caps Unfair
Delegate Christian-Green and the delegate from Guam are initiating an effort to raise the mandatory federal caps on Medicaide programs in the insular areas. In a joint letter to Donna Shalala of Human Services the two delegates say the program for the territories is not fair. 02/20/97 4:22 PM
Rules Approves Three
Senator Comacho’s Committee on Rules approved, Percival Clouden of Banco Popular to the Government Development Bank board. The committee also passed Roy Jackson and Henry Smock to UVI’s board. They approved frank’s bakery lease and passed the bill to name Maud Proudfoot Drive. 02/21/97 7:34 am
Coming Up:
- Don’t Miss Tech Talk tonight on WTJX at 8:00 PM The show will introduce you to the Internet. That’s tonight at 8:00 PM on WTJX.
- Senator White has a meeting today at 6:00 PM at the Gomez School in Tutu. The topic is roof repair and the Governor’s Roof replacement program, That’s 6:00 PM
- Wesley Academy Parent Teacher Association is meeting at 7:00 PM at the school after the meeting there is a family night.
- Saturday Law Enforcement Supervisors Union has an election for officers. Its going on all day from 7 to 7 at Zone “A” Command. Please remember to vote.
- UVI has a science fair tomorrow. From 11:30 am to 1:00 PM there is an impromptu paper airplane contest and an egg packaging contest from 1 to 4:00 PM the science fair runs all day. The site is the Harvey Student Center and it is all part of National Engineers Week.
- At the Reichhold Center for the Performing Arts there is a new exhibit of the work of Afreekan Southwell – a self taught artist from Antigua who was the star of David Edgecomb’s Caribbean play Coming Home to Roost. Now his art is in the Reichhold Center Gallery. That’s Afreekan Southwell making good news.
- Blues in the Schools is next week. Kenneth Jackson is coming from Memphis to teach and jam the Blues. He’ll host workshops, perform and teach our teachers. On Thursday Jackson will teach a seminar for teachers at Antilles School. Next Friday Mr. Jackson has a performance at UVI Little theater and that’s Kenneth Jackson making good news.
- American Association of Retired People Chapter 3138 has a two day Symposium on Long Term Care next weekend February 28th and March 1st at Wyndham Sugar Bay Hotel. The Association of Retired People has a slate of guest speakers and local government officials coming together to determine what comprehensive long term services can be developed in the Virgin Islands. That’s Coming up on February 28th. Contact Olric Carrington 772-0349 02/21/97 7:45 AM
Adopt A Park
Good news for St. John. The Governor welcomed Majestic Construction of St. John as the latest corporation to Adopt-a-Park. Majestic Construction is adopting the Winston Wells Ball Park in Cruz Bay. The Governor and Commissioner Hobson commended Majestic Construction for Investing in the Community. 02/20/97 4:22 PM