US Virgin Islands
[singlepic id=4817 w=180 h=40 mode=web20 float=left]Good morning! This is Alex Randall with Good News Headlines
Good News for Turtles
The Leatherback turtles are back at Sandy Point St. Croix. The leatherback is an endangered turtle species and Sandy Point is one of their nesting sites. This year 86 turtles nested at Sandy Beach – which is a record. The best prior year saw 55 turtles. And some of the turtles were born here and are returning to Sandy Point. This demonstrates that the rescue efforts are working. Poaching has dropped to zero. You are reminded that the leatherback is a protected species, killing one can get you a year in jail and a $20,000 fine.
Current Conditions in Paradise:
Temperature: 80 Degrees Water Temp: 71 Degrees Skies: Crystal Clear, Occasional Cloud Beach: Perfect Swimming: Perfect Diving: Perfect Sailing: Perfect Drinks: Ready
Tourism on the Road
The staff of the Dept. of Tourism is on he road in the USA giving training seminars to travel agents in Tampa, Sarasota, Clearwater, Houston, Ft Worth and Dallas. They are teaching 400 reservations agents about how to book clients to the USVI. This year the Tourism road show is going to more destinations than ever before.
Does Hospitality Training Help?
VITALL says hospitality training makes a real difference. They conducted a series of interviews with visitors to St. Croix and found the comments were overwhelmingly positive. People had compliments for the hospitality of the taxi drivers, one played a cassette tape relating the history of the island and what people were seeing. Only two negative comments, booth about communication and logistics, not the hospitality and friendliness of the front line people.
Who is Mining the Top Soil?
Senator Bryan wants to know why the owners of several plots are mining the top soil without an earth change permit. Bryan, in a letter to Buelah Dalmaida-Smith of Department of Planning and Natural Resources, asks why the soil can be removed from Plot 14 Estate Plessens and Matricula 28 and 29 in Frederiksted and whether is will present a flooding hazard later on. 05/12/97 10:30 AM
Vania made a Splash
The Miss Universe Contest is getting going and Vania Thomas, Miss USVI has already made a splash in front of the judges. Lorraine Baa said Vania was one of the most poised of the contestants and she really shined in the competition.
Coming Up:
This is National Hospital Week. There is a Religious Ceremony today and an open house at Schneider Hospital tomorrow
The Senate Committee on Government Operations is meeting today to consider two bills that will change our limited partnership laws. We’ll have a report on Lee Carle’s NewsDay.
Coming Up: Friday the Virgin Islands Humanities Council is celebrating the Centennial of Albert Daniel as an artist and sculptor. That’s coming up on Saturday
President Clinton Wrapped up the Caribbean Summit on Sunday
There was no big news from Barbados at the Caribbean Summit. Clinton will ask Congress to extend the North American Free Trade Zone to the Caribbean countries and they signed an agreement on drug fighting and trade. The topic of Bananas was not resolved. Clinton asked all the Caribbean leaders to increase their efforts to stop they drug flow and money laundering. The leaders said they lacked the resources to fight the drug war and Clinton pledged more surveillance aircraft and Coast Guard vessels in the Caribbean. 05/12/97 8:42 Clinton also pledges 2 million for microcredit loans to small scale entrepreneurs. The idea of microcredit is hot in economic development these days. It that involves giving very small businesses small loans to get simple equipment, like a sewing machine or construction tools to operate the business. 05/12/97 8:54 AM
Art Winners
Michelle Velez of Central High School on St. Croix is the first place winner in the 16th annual Congressional artistic discovery competition. There were 32 entries from the seven territorial High School’s. Monique Marin of Country Day School and Khnephra Nielsen also of CDS placed second and third. The winning entry will be on display in Washington DC for a full year.
The Fire is Out
A man with a blowtorch started a fire at the Bovoni Landfill on Sunday. The good news is that the fire is out. Carlton Dow said the fire fighters have better equipment and a chemical called PyroCap that creates a foam that enhances the power of water. PyroCap also neutralizes smoke to make it less dangerous. Dow also said that new pond they created after the last fire helped put the fire out. The brush fires on St. Croix were another story. The latest round of fires consumed another 3 acres of brush and destroyed a fire truck. 05/12/97 8:30 AM
Good News Makers:
Mother’s Day was time for the best Mother’s Day Hat contest at Renaissance Grand Beach Resort and Mrs. Marjorie Vanterpool took the top prize. The members of Paradise Social Group say that’s Marjorie Vanterpool’s good news.
Two daughters of the Frances Family have distinguished themselves in academic studies. Both were valedictorians, both went to UVI, then on to Boston University for advanced studies. Last year Cynthia Frances got her Ph.D. in Microbiology, and next week Delicia Frances will be awarded her Ph.D. in Immunology. Two sisters making good news at the top of the academic universe.
Water Island Report
Nothing Happened.