Public Services Commission approved a rate increase for WAPA
– The new rates will show up in the January electric and water bills. Oil
prices are up again and the forecast is for higher oil prices in January. Expect
your electric bill to increase 4.6 percent and water bills will go up 3.3
percent.
Public Services Commission also heard from the St. John ferry
companies. The Public Services Commission previously approved a reduced
schedule, but the two ferry companies said they were going back to their original
schedule from Red Hook to Cruz Bay St. John. On the other hand, downtown Charlotte
Amalie to Cruz Bay St. John schedule will remain at three trips per day – not enough
demand.
The Public Services Commission also approved the agreement
between WAPA and Island Wind Power to start the turbines at the mall. The
Commissioners/staff workshop continues today with presentations from Lifeline
and Vitelco, WAPA and the Virgin Islands Energy Office. Waste Management
Authority and tomorrow they have an exploration of the ferry matters and
executive session.
Last days for the H1N1
swine flu vaccinations in the schools. On St.
Croix today Education Complex.
Good News from Saints Peter and Paul School – they school is
now fully accredited Middle States Association for Colleges and Schools issued
a full accreditation now through December of 2014. Dr Gwen-Marie Moolenaar thanked
the faculty and staff for all the hard work to earn accreditation.
Dept. of Tourism has a new television campaign in their
target markets. This is the second wave and will air January 4 through January 17
on top affiliate networks in some of the largest markets. This campaign will
cost just over a half million dollars to reach Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte,
Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando and
Philadelphia. The ads are locally customized to show the correct airline
contact and local tour operators. The ads feature travelers who lost their
identities and found a new identity here in the Virgin Islands...
The Governor’s Christmas
parties continue - today on St. Thomas E. Benjamin Oliver School, Joseph
Gomez Elementary School Joseph Sibilly School and Yvonne Milliner Bowsky
Elementary School.
Virgin Islands Taxi Cab Commission is offering two taxi
medallions µ-
today. Croix on December 18 at 11:00 AM at the Offices in Golden Rock St.
Croix. Only open to Virgin Islands Veterans and bid applications must be
presented at the time of the auction.
Dept. Housing Parks and Recreation on St. Croix is closed
from 10:00 AM today for a retirement program and workshop. They will be back on
Monday.
GERS St. Thomas and St. Croix will be closed today from 9:00
AM to noon for a staff in-service training workshop. Back to work at 1:00 PM.
Dept. of Agriculture reminds all school and youth groups that wish
to participate in the St. Croix Aggie Fair that applications are due by Friday
December 18 – the 39th agricultural fair is set for February 13-15
at Shulterbrandt Agricultural complex in Estate Lower Love It’s all about
healthy food and a safe environment makes sense. Call 692-4084.
HOVENSA has planned a Block Turnaround as they clean and
inspect 9 processing units at once. The work will begin now with the erection
of scaffolding. And the real insid work will begin in January. There
are some 1700 job openings for this special work and laidoff employees
will be the first called back to HOVENSA. The Dept. of Labor has information about
these temporary jobs at HOVENSA.
Miracle on Main Street is TODAY - a party that runs all day
on Main Street in Charlotte Amalie featuring dancing in the streets, music, and
open shops. In Emancipation Garden there
is the Kean School Jazz and Steel pan bands from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Top Notch
Band from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, , Cool Sessions from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM and
traditional Arts and crafts and food all day.
On Main street the Ulla Muller school Steel orchestra will
perform in Post Office Square from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. All Stars will perform
at Cardow and the Sibilly School orchestra will perform at Nye Gade, Milo’s
Kings will perform at Raadets Gade, Caribbean Ritual dancers are in front of
Coconuts BCB Burning Blazers are in Palm Passage. Lockhart quadrille dancers will be roaming
the street and Encore band is at Store Tver Gade.
Along the waterfront
the Antilles Steel band is at Palm Passage Parking Lot from 5 to 7 followed by
Ah We Band. Sweeta band is in front of Rolex.
The parade of Lighted boats will begin at 6:30 PM
A mini-parade from Market Square – Grand Marshall is Senator
Shawn Michael Malone with Sebastian Majorettes, CAHS Marching band, Charming Twirlers,
Santa on a Float, Virgin Islands Performing Arts, a Cultural Christmas Float,
Mungo Niles Cultural Dancers, Coc and the Sunshine Band, Virgin Islands
Heritage Dancers, Kean School Float, Santa’s Living room Float and Glen Kwebna
Davis with Old Time Christmas Caroling. All Friday evening in downtown
Charlotte Amalie.
Hearty Congratulations to the eighth-grade class at Addelita
Cancryn Junior High School who will grow their vocabularies now that each
student has a spanking new copy of Webster's Thesaurus for Students by Rotary
II of St. Thomas, as part of the club's "Gift of Words" project. Big
Thank You to the members of Rotary 2 and
President Simon Caines—Edwin Schouchana,
Michael Toussaint, Eric Baines, Sinclaire Wilkinson and Ida White who were on hand to hand out
the blue soft-cover books to each student.
Santa is at Ivanna Eudora Kean School this morning with
breakfast for the school students and gifts. Rotary East is presenting
breakfast with Santa from 8:00 AM to
noon The Tickets are on sale for $ 5