How can you tell Carnival is really all over…?

04 May 2012

79  degrees in Crown Bay St. Thomas
89% humidity.
29.93 Barometric Pressure - rising.
Mostly East Wind at 3 MPH.  
Point  05 inches of rain in the last 24 hours  - We have had 13.11  inches of rain so far this year.

Doppler radar shows – Mostly Clear Skies
Satellite photo shows – The band of showers is moving away from our area – expect clearer skies today

National Weather Service says: Overcast with thunderstorms and rain showers. Chance of rain 50% with rainfall amounts near 0.2 in. possible. High of 82F. Winds from the ESE at 5 to 15 mph.

Cruise Ship News No Ships Today

At the top of the news on Friday May 4

You can tell that Carnival is really over when Dept. Public Works tells us that Fort Christian Parking Lot will reopen on Monday May 7 at 7 AM. Monday at 7:00 Am. The last last lap.

Should the local taxi industry be degrees-regulated. What if Taxi drivers could lend their taxis to anyone with a local driver’s license for personal use and to any licensed taxi driver for taxi and personal use?  Sen. Hansen has proposed removing regulations from the taxi business. But the taxi drivers spoke up against the bill saying St. Thomas already has large numbers of unregulated gypsy cabs and these two measures would make it effectively impossible to enforce regulations requiring taxi drivers be licensed. V.I. Taxicab Association Executive Director Judith Wheatley told senators, "We must protect and defend the legally licensed drivers against those who cheat the system." Both bills were sent on for further consideration by the Rules and Judiciary Committee.

We know about boxing and Calypso competitions but here comes an entrepreneurship competition. Fourteen UVI students are vying for a prize of $60,000 to help them start a business – All school year the students have been working on their business ideas, honing the details, doing research to find out how to start up a new business. They are on stage today at the Administration Conference Center building on the St. Thomas campus< they will make their final presentations before a panel of judges – winner gets $30,000. Second place gets $20,000 and the third place winner gets $10,000 -  The money comes from 13D a St Croix investment business headed by their entrepreneur Kiril Sokoloff.  The students can’t take their prize and buy a fancy car – they have to use the funds to actually start-up the new business.

Where is the good news in the sentencing of former Port Authority officer Bill John-Baptiste?  Is it good news when a police officer is convicted of mis using his position of power? Yes. It sends a message to everyone else who serves the people that misuse of power is a crime and will be punished. Enid Edwards – another defendant is scheduled for sentencing June 21.


Here comes National Travel and Tourism Week (May 5-13) with a series of professional development seminars on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. The free seminars are open to anyone in the service industry interested in improving their service skills and knowledge of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Seminars on St. Thomas take place Monday at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Administrative and Conference Center. On St. Croix, sessions are planned for Tuesday at the UVI Melvin Evans Center, room 401. There is a morning class on Customer Service Excellence from 10:00 Am to noon. A class on History and Culture from  1 o'clock to 2:30  and then from 3 o'clock to 4:30  a session on Our Natural Environment. An additional Customer Service Excellence seminar has been scheduled on St. John on Monday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the St. Ursula’s Multipurpose Center in Cruz Bay. On May 10, Tourism will host a “Business After Hours” event on St. Croix at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted and an event on St. Thomas at the Havensight Visitor Welcome Center. For more information about Tourism Week activities and to register for the seminars, call 774-8784 on St. Thomas-St. John or 772-0357 on St. Croix.

Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. has proclaimed May, 2012 as "Mental Health Month," the week of May 6-12 as "Children's Mental Health Awareness Week" and May 9 as "Children's Mental Health Day" in the Virgin Islands to encourage the community to learn more about mental illness and overcome the stigmas and fears associated with mental disorders. Studies suggest that one in every five Americans is affected by mental illness, including more than fifty million Americans who are coping with conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Mental Health month began in 1949 to raise awareness of mental health conditions and wellness. Gov. John de Jongh Jr. proclaimed May as Mental Health month in the U.S. Virgin Islands, noting that one in five American adults and children are affected by a mental illness.
Health Commissioner Mercedes Dullum encourages residents to do their part to help de-stigmatize the issue of mental illness and to help raise the awareness of mental wellness
There are special events next week - Wednesday, May 9Open house at Barbel Plaza;
9 am to 3 pm  followed by National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day Film Series.
On Wednesday, May 16 there is a program on "Bullying" at Barbel Plaza from  3:30 to 4:30 p.m. –

On Wednesday, May 23 from 3 o'clock to 4:30 there is a presentation on "How to Care for Yourselves and Your Loves Ones in Stressful Time" at Barbel Plaza.

On St. Croix District on Thursday, May 11 there is an Open house at Charles Harwood Medical Complex from 9:00 AM to noon and on Thursday, May 17 from 10 to 11 am there is an Open forum, parenting support group at the CHC Mental Health Building. For more information on St Croix call 773-1311 and on St. Thomas call 774-4888.