Turn Trash into energy –
kill two birds with one stone. It seems logical enough., and our legislature agrees. The Senate committee approved a lease with Alpine
Energy Group for 30 years on land that
is more than a mile from any residential area. They will build 440 million
dollars worth of generating plant that
turn waste into energy. WAPA and the Public
Services Commission are already on board with this plan. Alpine’s St. Thomas site is south of Bovoni on behind
a hill with waterfront land that will allow barges of Pet coke to come from St.
Croix. On St. Croix the site is between
HOVENSA and the Renaissance–Alcoa site. The 30 year leases include annual rent
that will increase over time. There is a provision for two 10 year extension.
Alpine says their plan will not produce smoke or waste and their technology
produces less air pollution that WAPA’s old generating facilities. Alpine
still has many permits to obtain construction on the facilities could begin
late in 2012.Cleaner air, less garbage and
consuming a by product from HOVENSA – sound like a win-win-win situation.
That committee also
approved a half million dollars to develop early childhood education in the Virgin
Islands. The idea is to bring more
children into pre-kindergarten classes. Commissioner of Education Dr LaVern
Terry sais this will make a small dent in the problem and the department wil
start with one or two schools in each district and expand as funds allow. Next
step is a request for proposal for the facilities.
Delegate Dr. Donna
Christensen has been working for decades to erase medical disparities. With health care reform in the US Congress right
now and with three minority caucuses all backing Christensen’s ideas about
disparities, she is facing a bruising fight in the House Senate committee where
the congress will try to trim every possible dollar out of the health care
reform legislature. The delegate is hoping that President Barack Obama will
weigh in on the side of eliminating medical disparities.
Will Schneider Hospital turn
contract nurses into permanent employees? CEO Elizabeth Harris told the Board of
Directors that one of the largest budget expenses at the hospital is the cost
of contract staff, specifically nurses who come to the hospital on temporary
contracts. The expense is far greater
than having the same nurse in a permanent
position. An the Board also learned that Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute is
attracting patients from down island.
Enough that they are looking at property owned by the Lockhart family
for possible construction of housing for Cancer center patients
Governor John DeJongh is
giving the marine community in the Virgin Islands a new voice. He signed an
executive order creating the Virgin Islands Marine Economic Development
Council. The council will include representatives from all of the marine
industries – WICOx, Port Authority, Dept. of Tourism, UVI and the Governor’s
office. In addition there will be
representatives from tour operators, marinas, charter yacht business, fishing
interests and marine educators. First order of business is to survey all of the
marine businesses in the territory. Next, develop a comprehensive marine
economic program for the government. The Governor also create a new Community Service
Commission tasked with encouraging community service and volunteerism.
The Governor also
announced that mold remediation at the Frederiksted Health Center should work
should begin in early 2010 to remoe all the mold from that building.
Cruise Ship News:, Ventura and Eurodam BOTH At Crown Bay
Dock
TEMPO Networks, LLC will host a press conference today at 10 a.m. to detail plans and sponsorship for
the upcoming Tempo Turns 4 event on St. Croix.
The press conference will take place at the Palm at Pelican Cove hotel. Lots of
sponsors this year: Department of Tourism, health, WTJX, and Randall
"Doc" James racetrack and St. Croix Busienss. Frederick Morton will unveil a new produce - TEMPO
Water—to be distributed at the anniversary event.
Senate Committee on Health is meeting on St. Croix to
discuss critical areas of service for Juan Luis Hospital and Roy L. Schneider
Hospital. In the afternoon they have the mold update from the Frederiksted
Clinic.
Public Services Commission is having a Public Hearings on
plans to transfer control of Vitelco and the Cable TV system to the National Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative,
They are meeting today on St. Croix at the Curriculum Center at 3:00 PM. and on
Thursday November 5 on St. John at the Legislative Conference Room at 3:00 PM.
Boxing or Surfing.
That’s the choice at the Paul M Pearson Gardens Boxing ring. They have a boxing ring for the boys to spar
and a computer ring for the boys to surf.
Choice Communication donated the computers and volunteers to train kids
in their use. Julian Jackson Jr. works for Choice and helped set up the Choice
Internet Ring at Paul M Pearson Gardens.
Jackson says Not every kid who comes to the boxing center is going to
become a boxer,” he said. “Grades come first. “That’s why we wanted to have the
computers. We’re not looking for fighters. We’re trying to make young men and women
for the future. We’re taking them off the street.”
Today the Fish and Wildlife staff will conduct Public
meetings at the St. Croix Curriculum Center also at 7:00 PM. The topic is to create an improved commercial
fisheries data collection program for the Virgin Islands.
Today - there will be a Social Security Representative on
St. John at 9:00 AM to12:45 at the Dept. of Human Services be the fire station
to answer questions about Social Security /. Call 714-0136.
St. Thomas Friends of Denmark are having a Danish
Thanksgiving Luncheon – the Morten’s Aften on Sunday November 8 at the Bolongo
Bay beach resort at 1:00 PM. Everyone is
invited The Tickets are on sale for $ 60 and available until November 5th. Call 775-2881.
Applications for the Crucian Christmas Adult and Children’s
Parades, Food Fairs, Festival Village Vendors, and Calypso Monarch Competition
are available on the Festivals’ website at www.stxfestival.com.
See,
Believe, Xperience It, 2009-2010 Crucian Christmas Festival!
We pause to remember Alfred Lockhart Senior who passed away
last Friday. Lockhart was a pilar of the
community, Chairman of the Virgin Islands Carnival Committee Grand Marshall and
long time music educator in the schools. He is credited with reinstituting the
CAHS Orchestra and with creating the Shooting Stars Steel Pan band., and he was
a charter member of the Musician’s Union. And served three governors on the horse
racing commission. Our condolences of the the Lockhard and Elskoe families on
the passing of Alfred Lockhart Senior.
Medical Air Services
Association announced a new program at the Schneider Hospital Bio-ethics
conference yesterday. Now you can pay
extra for a premium membership in MASA and choose your destination. In the past
if you needed am emergency medical airlift, MASAx would take you to Puerto Rico
or Miami depending on your medical condition. Now for a larger membership fee,
you can have the medical air ambulance take you to Washington DC or Philly or
Houston according to the doctor who took care of you. If you have medical
treatment in Washington for example and you have a medical emergency here, the
premium membership will allow you to designate your doctor and hospital and
MASA will take you to Washington.