Prosecutor’s Home Torched in Suspected Arson; Senator Alvin Williams Jr. Charged with $1.1 M Bribery Scheme

Prosecutot"s home torched after came'ras'disabled Page2 : Boards of Elections delay in counting 'votes violates V.I. Code Page2 ONE DOLLAR wvvvv.virginisiandsdailynevvs.com ISSN 2159-3019 .,.1..,11 5 •_0 . . ""- ��� Co �ii"'lI><IC�� . A Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper S •• ,'.h .... 2012 D.,;y N .... Pu.",h'". Co. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2012 82nd ear, No. 22542 , CHARGES: ILLEGAL PROCEEDS TOTAL $1.1 MILLION enator • • In Ic.e Alvin Williams Jr. -and two Senate staffers arrested in federal fraud and bribery case Page 3 , Sen. Alvin Williams Jr., who surrendered to law enforcement officials Thursday, did not run for re-election this year. He is in his third term in the V.I. Legislature. Daily News File Photo Get eco-friendly products with on EcoSolutions Loan. Find out more today. Visit your nearest Scotiabank Branch. t Terms & conditions apply. Subject to credit approval for an unsecured loan. Offer valid for unsecured personal loans from $2,500 to $25,000 in terms from 12 . to 60 months. A loan of $20,000 with an 8.99% APR for 60 months will hove a monthly payment of principal and interest of $415.07. The payment is and does not include insurance. There is no application fee for this loan. ·Trademark of The Sank of Novo Scotia, used t ' , , " , : , - . . . I . 2 The Virgin Islands Daily News , . ) , I ,. \ t . ) ,. . 1 ) \ * VIRGIN ISLANDS " � I . • , , Friday, November 9, 2012 . Prosecutor's home destroyed in suspected arson on St. Croix By LOU MATTEt Daily News Staff ST. THOMAS - v.1. Police and . V.1. Fire Service officials on St. Croix are investigating what they say is suspected arson at the home of a criminal prosecutor for the v.1. Attorney General's Office. The Estate St. George home of Assistant Attorney General Kip Roberson was fully engulfed in flames when five Fire Service trucks responded to a 911 call about 11 a.m. Thursday, according to St. Croix Fire Chief Angel Torres Sr. and Attorney General Vincent Frazer. Torres estimated that the borne had been burning for about 15 minutes before the call came in. He said firefighters had to force their way through a motorized gate to gain access to the burning house. No one was inside, and no one was hurt in tbe blaze, but the home was completely destroyed, Torres said. "It's a total loss," Torres said. Torres said firefighter.; also found that surveillance cameras at the . home had been tampered with., "Someone cut the wires," he said. "The wires was pulled out and the screens were pulled out and thrown in the bushes." Torres said firefighters found evidence of tampering on the doors to the home, which appeared that someone had tried to pry the doors open. The Fire Service did not leave the scene until 3:20 p.m., Torres said. Torres -said Thursday evening that the Fire Service bad not contacted any witnesses at that point and that Roberson's borne was located in an isolated area. He said he believed Roberson shared the home with another attorney, but he did not know the attorney's name. "Apparently they were a couple, but it's an ongoing investigation," Torres said. "We gotta really follow up on some leads and stuff we're looking at." Roberson could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. Frazer declined to comment about Roberson's living situation. The attorney general said late Thursday Elections boards' slow vote count violates V.I. law By LOU MATTEI Daily News Staff ST. THOMAS - Both Boards of Elections in the VIrgin Islands have run afoul of the V.I. Code and board policies in the wake of Tuesday's general election, from which paper ballots are still being tallied. The V:1. Code requires the boards to count the votes for each candidate within a day of receiving ballot materials from the polling places: ''Each board of elections, afIer having received all statements, books, lists, papers, vouchers, ballots, ballot boxes and district register from each polling district and polling place in its distric� shall convene not later than one day following the receipt thereof and determine the total number of votes cast in the election district for each candidate." . The law states that the boards must convene no later than three days afIer receiving the aforementioned materials to tally votes for the Board of Education and Board of Elections races. On Tuesday, a majority of the votes from all races were cast on electronic machines, and results from those ballots were available within hours of the polls closing. However, widespread diSbUSt of the machines led to a spike in the use of paper ballots - more than 4,500 vote count and, in effect, hampered the boards' abilities to comply with the law. Today marks the third day since the boards received all the ballots from the polling sites Tuesday night. The St. Thomas-St. John Board hopes to fiuish counting the Senate races by the end of the day today before moving on to other races, according to board member Lorna Thomas. The St. Croix Board is scheduled to begin counting its 2,781 paper ballots today. Thomas, who helped on Thursdsy to oversee her board's tally of about 600 ballots in the .. ISSN 2159-3019 � Virgin Islands D,ily N,w, MiI,h", Com,,,y ,,,. 'wood � • o " I'IIW __ wInnIn8 ... CO © 2012 Daily News Publishing CO. Islands Daily News �4t: £lNIC" by Times·Shamrock ;:: � Communications publishes The Virgin daily, e�cept Sunday, � Christmas Day and New Year's Day, at 9155 Estate Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, Sl Thomas, VI 00802. FirS! class postage paid at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. U.S.V.! USPS 144-180 POSTMASTER, send Form 3579, Notice of Address Change, to: Circulation Director, Oaily News, 9155 Estate Thomas. Sl. Thomas, VI 00802. Daily News Photo by FIONA STOKES St. Croix Board of Elections member Lisa Harris Moorhead looks on as board members and election judges sort and count ballots Thursday. The board issued a statement Thursday that it had finished sorting more than 2,700 ballots and will begin counting them today at the Election System Office . in Sunny Isle Shopping Center. Senate race, said the law makes little sense in the context of the territory's clUTen! paper baBots, which can be counted only by hand. "Literally it would have been impossible to follow," Thomas said when asked abou� the law. "I don't see how we could have done that." Thomas said the board should have new voting machines by the 2014 elections that can tally paper ballots automatically. When asked about enforcing the section of the law cited above, V.1. Attorney General Vmcent Frazer said he "would have to look at that and see." The boards' handling of the paper ballots also has brought them into conflict with a Board of DAILY_NEWS' Contact us Publisher Jason Ro bbins 714-9107 Calendar .................. 33 Nation & World .... 12-23 [email protected] Classifieds .... , ..... inside Opinions . ............ 24-25 Executive Editor Comics ..... ........ ... 34-37 Police Re po rts ......... 10 J. Low e Davis Crossword ......... ...... 37 Sport s ..... .. , ......... 38-44 714-9138 Cruise Ships ......... ..... 5 Sudoku ............... inside [email protected] Horoscope .. ... .......... 35 TV Schedule ............ 32. E-mail Lottery Results .....,.. 12 Weather ................... 12 [email protected] Elections policy. Joint Board of Elections Chairman Rupert Ross Jr. said Thursdsy that the joint board passed a policy earlier this year requiring the boards to begin counting any paper ballots the night of the election. He said the policy never was put into writing, but it may exist in some fonn in minutes from the meeting. He also said the policy lacked an enforcement mechanism. Ross said the intent of the policy, which passed by a 6-5 vote, was to ensure that processing of the paper ballots began as soon as possible. The sooner the counting begins, the easier it is to comply with another section of the law that requires the boards to certify a fiual vote count within 10 days of an election, Ross reasoned. The certification deadline already was weighing on the mind of Thomas, who pointed out the St. Thomas-St. John Board has yet to louch locked ballot boxes containing absentee ballots �d walk-in votes. Elections Supervisor John Abramson Jr. has said the district processed ·412 walk-in ballots and mailed 331 absentee ballots. But Thomas was optimistic that the board was gaining momenttun afIer a troubled start. "Tempers were a little tight yesterday, but everyone's happy today," Thomas said. "The public was much quieter and accommodating judges to do their jobs." Candidate Lawrence Olive, who earned 304 paper-ballot votes on Thursday to bump Lisa Williams from ninth place in the Senate' race. said he told his supporters to use the paper ballots as a more reliable - and legal- alternative to the electronic machines. "If the trend continues, I don't see no reason "(hy 1 will not be in the top seven," Olive said. "It just goes to show you that the paper ballot is the true count." - Contact reporter Lou Mattei at 714-9124 or [email protected]. that he had not yet been fully briefed on the fire, but he had a deputy on st. Croix looking into the question of whether the sijspected arson could be connected to any cases Roberson was working. "1 hope not, but we will look into that," Frazer said. Torres said the fire remains under investigation by the Po lice Department's forensics unit and the Fire Service's arson prevention unit. Anyone with information about the fire can call the Fire Service at 773-8050 and ask for the arson prevention unit. Election Update Senate At�arge Craig Barshinger ...... .. ............... 11,133 Wilma Marsh-Monsanto ............... 4, 930 r St. Thomas-St. John District Clifford Graham ............................. 6,840 Shawn-Michael Malon e ................... 4.704 Myron Jackson ............ ..... ... ......... .. 4.661 Janette Millin Young ....... , ............... 4, 407 Clarence Payne .............................. 3.851 Tregenza Roach ............................. 3, 793 Donald Cole ................................... 3.352 Justin Harrigan S r ..................•........ 3,118 Lawrence Olive ............................... 3.003 Lisa Williams ............. ...:................ 2,823 Horace Brooks .................•............. 2.610 Paul Alexander .. .... ......................... 2,202 Sean Georges ..... .............•............. 2,147 Marvin Blyden .. ................ ..... ... ... ... 2,125 Louis Willis .... ...... ...................... .... 2, 082 Alma Francis·Heyliger ....... ..... ..... .... 1, 911 Kent Bernier Sr . .... ....... .................. 1,800 Janelle Sarauw .............................. 1, 750 Stephen Frett ................................. 1, 436 Cecilia Milliner-Emanuel. ................. l,191 Joseph Gumbs ............................... l,138 Kyza Callwood . ..............., ...., ............. 949 Shirley Sadler ................................... 826 Elvin Fahie Sr . ................................... 804 Neville Arney ........., ....,..., ....,............, 727 today, and we appreciated them territOlywide allowing the - that Alan has slowed Friedman the ............ ....................... 642 Carol Berry ....................................... 624 Omodoso Muhammad ......... ..... ........ . 411 Cleone Marrishow ............................. 32 7 Jodi Hodge ....................................... 304 Josephine Lindquist .......................... 290 Andreas Tietje ..., ......., ......................,272 Orial Webb ................,....................... 210 Walter Brown ...... .............................. 183 Charlesworth Halstead ...................... 125 • Unofficial; as ofThursday. 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Alvin Williams Jr. charged with bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud By ALDETH LEWIN Daily News Sta ff ST. THOMAS � Sen. Alvin Williams Jr. was arrested by federal agents Thursday and charged with bribery, mail frand and wire fraud. The proceeds of Williams' criminal activities $1.1 million, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. About 4 p.m. Thursday, almost a dozen 10 FBI agents converged on the v.1. Legislature building on St. Thomas. according to several eyewitnesses. The agents went inside and came out escorting Kim Blackett, who is listed on the Legislature website as Williams' chief of staff . Blackett also was charged in an indictment filed Thursday. Another staff member also was charged, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which did not release . the person's name. Senate President Ronald Russell said he was on St. Croix at the time the agents arrived at the Legislature, but he was informed of the arrest. Russell said he was told that Williams had surrendered to law.enforcement officers. "He turned himself in, that's what" I understand," Russell said. Russell said he had no additional information Thursday. In October 2011, about 25 federal and local law enforcement officers raided the St. Thomas Senate building and·Williams' office. A federal grand jury handed up an indictment Thursday charging Williams, Blackett and a third person with operating and participating in crintinal activities including bribery, wire fraud and mail fraud, U.S. Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands Ronald Sharpe said in a prepared statement The indictment has not yet been posted by the District Court. However, the statement from Sharpe includes a number of details from the charging dOCuments inclnding that Williams is accused of: • Attempting to bribe Public Works Commissioner Danyl Smalls with $10,000 in cash. • Accepting bribes from the developers of Raphune VIstas. • Accepting $35,000 in bribes from the developers of the wind twtines atTutuParkMall. • Soliciting kick-hacks from his own staff in exchange for salary raises. • Committing wire frand by using public funds to pay for courses and having staff members submit work in his name to obtain an online degree in his name from . University of Phoenix. According to Sh3Ipe, if Blackett and Williams are convicted, they face a maximum 20-year prison sentence and up to $250,000 in fines. Public Works On Sept. 5, 2009, Williams gave the V.I. Public Works Commissioner $10,000 in cash in an attempt to bribe him to give contracts to Ace Development Inc., a company in which Williams had an interest, Sh3Ipe said. In his answers to a Daily News candidate questionnaire for the 2006 Voter Guide, Williams said he was 'the owner of Ace Development Inc. At the time, Darryl Smalls was the Public Works Commissioner. When The Daily NeWs reached Smalls on Thursday night, he said he had no comment. Raphune Vistas Sen. Alvin Williams Jr. Between Feb. 21, 2007, and Nov. 18, 2011, Williams solicited a bribe from the developers of the Raphune Vista housing development project on St. Thomas, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The indictment says Williams promoted legislative action and supported the authorization of funding and zoning of the project in exchange for which Ace Development received a contract related to the construction of Raphune VIstas, Sh3Ipe said. As part of the contract, Ace Development used and/or rented. construction equipment to the developers, Sh3Ipe wrote. In May 2009, the Senate approved a zoning change for Oceanside Villageinc., the developers of Raphune Vistas, from R-l, residential low density one- and two-family, to R-4, residential medium densityagainst the recommendations of the V.I. Department . of Planning and Natural Resources. In June 2009, Gov. John deJongh Jr. vetoed the zotting change. Tutu wind turbines In September 2008, Williams asked for and received a $10,000 campaign contribution from the developers of the Tutu Park windinill pmject as a bribe to snpport legislation supporting the project, Sharpe said. Williams also solicited $25,000 in campaign contributions from the wind turbine developers between September 2008 and September 2009 ;according to the federal prosecutor. A number of companies were involved with the wind twtine project, including Green Power Electric; Dallasbased Earth, Wind and Power; and Island Wmd Power. When the Senate passed a comprehensive renewable energ)' bill in 2009, an amendment was tacked on to change the zoning code to allow wind turbines in B-1 and B-3 business zones without having to seek separate zoning approval. The legislation also would have allowed wholesale renewable energy production in B-4 and B-3 zones. The measure was line-item vetoed by deJongh in July 2009. Campaign funds and false reports From January 2006 to December 20 II, Williams and a legislative staff member failed to deposit-certain campaign contributions; withdrew funds from a campaign account; and submitted false campaign disclosure reports that failed to include certain contributions, accoraing to Sharpe. Kick-backs from staff In the summer of 20 1 0, Williams tried to solicit kick-backs from his own staff in exchange for giving them salary increases, the statement from the U.S. attorney's office said. . According to Sharpe, the staff I11:embers were supposed to withdraw a portion of the increased salary in cash and give it to Williams. From September 2010 to July 2011, Williams received such a bribe, Sharpe said. University of Phoenix From April 2007 to February 2008 and from January 2008 to October 2011, Williams and a staff member committed federal wire fraud as the senator sought online degrees from the University of Phoenix. "The indictment alleges that the staff member falsely submitted various documents that were generated, created and authored by others under the direction of and in the name of Williams," Sharpe said in the statement. From January 2008 to October 2011, Williams and Blackett defrauded the government by using public funds for non-legislative purposes, namely pursuing an online degree for Williams, Sharpe said. "N; the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education, the Office of Inspector General will aggressively pursue anyone who games the Education system for their own selfish purpose," Special Agentin-charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Yessyka Santana said in a written statement. The investigation The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Public Corruption Task Force, a joint federal and local team. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Lindquist, Nolan Paige and Kelly Lake. ''The prosecution of public corruption is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney's Office," Sh3Ipe said . .'�It is a· breach of the public trust for public officials to use their office for personal gain." "These individuals have allegedly 'abused their powers by utilizing their positions to discreetly conduct illegal activities," IRS-CI Special Agent-incharge Jose Gonzalez said Thursday. "JRS-CI is committed to following the money trail to ensure that public officials who use their office to line their own pockets are brought to justice and deprived of their ill-gotten gains." Sh3Ipe asked anyone with direct knowledge of illegal acts or information on corruption in the Virgin Islands to call the Public Corruption Task Force at 71!H;516. - Co ntact reporter Aldeth Lewin at 714-91I1 or email [email protected]. Alvin Williams Jr., 34 Democrat Senator, St. Thomas·St. John District. 27th; totalled 28th, 29th Legislatures. po Committees: Chairman of Planning and Environment Protection; vice-chairman of Government Operations; member of Rules and Judiciary, Housing, Sports and Veterans Affairs, Public Safety, Homeland Security and Justice; liaison to the U.S. Congress. Education: 1996 graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School. Claims to have earned an M online degree from University of Phoenix, but federal indictment puts that in question. Community positions: Former president of St. Thomas-St. John Horse Owners Association. Prior erriployment: Owner of Ace Development Inc. and general manager of Alvin Williams Trucking and Heavy Equipment Rental, which his Legislature website says has been "contracted by the federal and local governments to provide major development services in the territory.� Alvin Williams Jr.'s Senate staff Kim Blackett, chief of staff. Garry Sprauve, senior advisor. Rasheen St. Juste, constituent officer. Phillip Harrigan, public relations officer- . committee coordinator. Jonee' Edwards, administrative assistant, legislative aide. Sources: V. 1. Legislature website, www.legvi.org; Williams' answers to Daily News 2006 Voter Guide questionnaire. 42 The Virgin Islands Daily News SPORTS Friday, November 9, 2012 Daily News Photo by TIM CHAPMAN Ivanna Eudora Kean High School volleyball player Chantell Grant goes up for a kill in the Lady Rays' 3-1 home win over the Ss. Peter & Paul Lady Jaguars on Thursday. VOLLEYBALL CONTINUED FROM THE BACK PAGE the ball over her .own head and just inside the out-of-bounds antenna. The ball dropped imtouched in the ceo!ec of the Ss. Peter and Paul half The Lady Jags struggled to forget about such points and assistant coach Ronald Blyden noted that emotion is the team's biggest issue. Blyden was filling in for head coach Gigi Quetel, who was unable to attend the game. "They have their issues and. their problems - I understand that - but they feed off of each other negatively, unfortunately," Blyden said. ''Sut they are gifted, that's for sure. That's ODe of the reasons. rm sticking with them and I don't want to leave," Kean (7-3) will try to transfer its energy over to St. Croix today and Saturday at the Educational Complex Invitational. Coach Jennifer Matthias hopes to see more consistency out of her team, especially Grant. "She brings a lot of energy, but sometimes her energy is in her mouth, cheering. But I need more of her energy to go into playing more on the court," Matthias said. ''They love to cheer and make that kind of noise, but I wish they had that energy· also when they're playing the ball. They're a good group of girls, but sometimes they get sidetracked." - Co ntact repo rter Tim Chapman at 7 J 4-9 J 02 or Ichopman(iiJpailynews. vi. Boras: Dodgers 'bought store,' Mets 'in freezer' , ... .. . . .•• year in a bankruptcy court auction and By RONALU DLUIVI The Associated Press INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - With baseball awash in record revenue as the signing season starts, Scott Boras compares the habits of teams to families sifting through supermarket shelves. At the winter meetings in Dallas last year, the agent had this to say of the financially troubled Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets: ''Normally, they're in the steaks section, and I found them in the fruits-andnuts category a k>t." Since then, the Dodgers have been sold for $2 billion. Tbe Mets owners have agreed to 'pay up to $162 million - and likely much less - in a deal with the trustee for Bernard Madoff's fraud victims. So on Wednesday at the general managers' meeting, Boras said his view of the Dodgers had changed. "I think they bought the store," he said. And as. for the Mets? "The best you can say is that they might be in the freezer section," he FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM THE BACK PAGE against Charlotte Amalie High School in mid-October, but rebounded with a 46-0 win over Central High on St. Croix before last week's bye. "We have a lot of senior leadership," Neely said, "so really these guys govern themselves - guys like Nathan Braithwaite, our quarterback." Braithwaite, a senior, has found Cilliers and senior receivers Omar Henderson and Lucas, Berry on touchdown passes, Kean High sopbomore quarterback Basketball clinics ST. CROIX - The Sports, Parks and Recreation Department will conduct after-school basketball clinics at Rudy Krigger Ballpark in Sion Farm every Wednesday through Dec. 19. The clinics are geared toward teaching youths the fundamentals of basketball and are for children ages 7 through 12. Free registration is from I p.m. to 6 p.rn. at Ktigger Ballpark. For more information, call Catita Stevens at 7�. '> St, Thomas Yacht Club race, fundraiser ST. THOMAS - The st. Thomas Yacht Club is bosting a race and pig roast on Dec. 15 to benefit the club's youth sailing program. The $40 entrance fee includes two tickets per boat for the pig roast following the race. Sailors of all ages are welcome, and the race is open to IC-24s, Racers, Cruising boats and any boat 24 feet or longer. Trophies and gift certificates will be presented to the top three boats. The race will start 8:55 a.m., but skippers will meet at 8 a.m. The event is sponsored by Scotiabank and Budget Marine. For more information, contact the club at 77&6320. Basketball clinic ST. CROIX - The USVI Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation, the Department of Tourism and the Paradise Jam Or�anization will host a basketball clinic explained. "But there's a lot of good, longstanding products that they can acquire there." Slugger Josh Hamilton and pitcher lack Greinke are among the top players in a relatively weak free-agent class that also includes outfielders B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Torii Hunter and Nick Swisher; first basemanAdsm LaRoche; and pitchers X,yle Lohse and Rafael Sonano. BasebaU estimates revenue tIlls year at $2.5 billion - an increase of about $500 million. National television contracts with Fox and Turner that run from 2014-21 will double the average yearly money baseball receives to about $800 million. And perhaps the biggest evidence of baseball's wealth is franchise valuesthe Dodgers sold for $2 billion this Shunnel Greenaway must exhibit more poise to give his team a chance. Greenaway looked sbarp in the first half of last week's 36-10 loss to CAHS, but the offense sputtered down the stretch. "I'm trying to keep him to maintain focus and be patient," Donovan said. "When he was patient in the first half of the game, we were moving the ball. Everything doesn't have to be deep. Every pass doesn't have to be a touchdown right away. He's only 16 years old, so sometimes he gets too excited and gets away from Local Briefs the lowly San Diego Padres were bought for $800 million. Since the Dodgers were bought last spring by a group headed by Mark Walter, Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson, they increased their payroll by about $35 million, adding infielder Hanley Ramirez, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, closer BrandoD League, pitcher Josb Beckett and outfielder Carl Crawford. The Dodgers' payroll next year might approach or surpass that of the New York Yankees, who have topped spending every year since Los Angeles edged them by $1 million in 200 I. New York is vowing to cut its payroll by 2014 because of changes in the collective bargaining agreement that will cut the team's revenue-sharing bill if it doesn't wind up paying a luxwy tax. Infielder Maicer lzturis became the first major league free agent to switch teams this offseason, agreeing to a $10 million, three-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 32-year-<>ld hit 256 with 17 steals in 19 tries, two homers and 20 RBis this year for the Angels. the pace of the ganle." Greenaway's protection will not <;ome easy. Cilliers had two sacks and recovered a fumble to lead the Arawaks defense in the first meeting. If the Arawaks win tonight and defeat CAHS (4-0) next week, both teams will have one loss. CAHS is idle the following week, and the Arawaks finish against struggling St. Croix Educational Complex. In the case of a tie in the final regular season standings, point differential will determine which team qualifies for the territory championship on Dec. 8. from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday at Central High School's Ronald Charles Gymnasium. The clinic will be conducted by Nels Hawkinson, the president and executive director of Basketball Travelers Inc., and is for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18. BTl organizes the Paradise Jam and other college and high school tournaments around the world. Hawkinson will be joined by colleague Craig Jonas. Participants will receive Paradise Jam posters and T­ shirts and have a chance to win complimentary tickets to the tournament, which begins Nov. 16. Rugby practice ST. THOMAS - The USVI Rugby Football Union practices on Tuesdays and Thurroays every week from 6- 8 p.m. at Charlotte-Amalie High School. Veterans, novices and first-time players are all welcome to participate. The group is training for upcoming scrimmages with the BVI and other down-island teams. For details, email Dan Perez at [email protected], visit their web site at www.usvirugby.org or call 941-565-0031. After-school junior tennis program ST. CROIX - Tennis pros Don deWilde and Ktistopher Elien'is running an after-school junior tennis program through Christmas at the Buccaneer Hotel for players between the ages of 5 to 18. For more information, or to ask about times, costs or registration. call 7�036. • • • r' , • . -" , . , • 6' 'l't\e'\:Ilr\:lil1'IS'lantls D,l'iry News 'l'''' .� \ "''-'T T .r..,-· ... 'rf"' .". , 'VIRGIN''1SEANDS '" F�icia�.'No'&'embei' 9, 2012 Boat captain arrested in 2011 death of parasailor By LOU MATTEI Daily News Staff ST. THOMAS - Boat captain Kyle Coleman was arrested Wednesday on a charge that he caused the 2011 death of a parasailor through misconduct, negligence and inattention to his duties, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday, Coleman, the captain of the motor boat Turtle, was conducting parasailing excursions just south of Water Island on Nov, 15,2011, according to a press release from the U,S, Attorney's Office, Bernice Kraftcheck and her daughter, Danielle Haese, were hoisted into the air for the parasail (ide as wind conditions were deteriorating. "The strong winds and a weak tow-line caused th.c tow-line to break, resulting in the parasail separating from the vessel and the two women falling into the water," the statement reads. "The wind then propelled the parasail, with the women still attached, at a very high rate of speed causing the death of Kraftcheck and serious injuries to Haese." The U,S, Coast Guard "aggressively investigated" the accident, which led to Coleman's arrest and the surrender of his merchant mariner's license in June, according to a prepared statement by Capt. Drew Pearson, the Coast Guard's San Juan commander. � "The Coast Guard takes safety at sea very seriously, and will ensure that. any mariner who causes anoth: er's death through misconduct, negligence, and inattention to his duties is held accountable in a court of law," Pearson said in the release, A medical examiner pronounced Kraftcheck, 60, of Round Lake, IlL, dead at the West Indian Co, dock the afternoon of the accident. Haese, 34 at the time, of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., was hospitalized overnight at Schneider Hospital. The women were passengers aboard the Celebrity Eclipse and bought a parasailing shore-excursion operated by Caribbean Watersports and Tours. The one-count grand jury indictment charging Coleman was not available on the District Court's online court records database as of Thursday night Coleman, 32, made his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond, according to the release. He is scheduled to be arraigned in District Court on Nov, 14, one day shy of the one-year anniversary of Kraf'tcheck's death, "If convicted, Coleman could face up to : 0 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, - Contact reporter Lou Mattei af 71 4-9-124 or em ail Im Nelson tells Luis' board that hospital is still falling short of standards By JOY BLACKBURN Daily News Staff ST. CROIX - Luis Hospital Chief Executive Jeff Nelson updated board members about the hospital's status with federal regulators during a meeting Thursday night Luis remains under the regulatory microscope with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - and the hospital's certification from the federal agency is potentially at stake. CMS certification indicates a hospital meets certain standards, and if a hospital is decertified, it is no longer eligible to receive payments from the federal agency for services the hospital provides to Medicare and Medicaid patients. Revenues from eMS patients represent about 60 percent of the hospital's income, Nelson said Thursday, . The hospital currently is operating under two settlement agreements with CMS, aimed at fixing problems found by inspectors from the federal agency during inspections in recent years. One of the agreements involves the entire hospital. Nelson on Thursday said that tile hospital recently had received a statement of deficiencies from CMS after inspectors conducted a follow-up, focused survey in Sep,tember as part of the monitoring on that agreement. Inspectors had found some improvements, "but not enough," Nelson said Thursday, The hospital has submitted a plan of correction for the deficiencies, but the federal agency said that the plan was not creative or detailed enough, Nelson told the hoard, Hospital officials will work on the plan of correction, and once CMS approves it, the elements of the plan will he part of the overall settlement agreement, Nelson said after the meeting. Luis has until Feb, 13 to meet the federal agency's mandates for improvement or it potentially will lose CMS certification - although Nelson said the surveys could come sooner. "We may see CMS here as early as mid-December," Nelson said. The hospital also is in the process of temporarily shutting down its psychiatric unit for 90 days in" an effort to make improvements in that unit, officials said. Luis.is working with a hospital in the United States to come to an agreement to temporarily transfer its patients there, officials said. The plan to temporarily close the lmit prompted considerable discussion at the meeting. Some advocates for the mentally ill, as well as some physicians, raised questions about the wisdom of the move. Board members said it was necessary to make improvem . ents to the wUt so that the hospital can keep the unit open in the long-tenn. The other settlement agreement Luis Hospital has with CMS is for the dialysis unit The hospital has met the federal standards for that unit, but the settIement agreement remains in place because CMS wanted to ensure that the positive changes were sustained, Nelson said. That settlement agreement has been extended once, and Nelson told board members Thursday that he anticipates it will be extended again for further monitoring, although be, did not know for how long. In other action, the board discussed and approved reports and a variety of recommendations from its Finance Comminee. It also approved a policy related to public access to board meeting minutes. Board chairwoman Kye Walker said the document puts the board's current practices into a policy, - COlltact Joy Blackbwl1 at 714-9145 or [email protected]. V.1. National Park to offer free admission to Trunk Bay Daily News Staff In recognition of Veterans Day, the National Park Service has designated Saturday, Surtday and Monday as a "fee-free weekend." All visitors to National Park sites in the territory, including Trunk Bay on St John, will be admitted free, Trunk Bay Beach is one the mostvisited beaches on St. John, and is home to an underwater trail, where swimmers are able to snorkel over a reef and read plaques identifying coral and fish below, To avoid over-crowding of the Trunk Bay parking lot, National Park persormel are encouraging visitors to carpool or take a safari taxi, For more infonnation, call Andrea Joseph at 776-6201 ext 249, . F.riday, Nav.emeer 9, 2G1 2 .. VIRGIN ISLANDS '. The. V,irgin Islands Daily-News 7 SBS GROUP I The Standard in Business Services Save money on in-house bookkeeping payroll I accounts receivable I accounts payable I financials I planning I analysis Across from Nisky Center, St. Thomas 340-774-7727 • www.sbsgroup.us a_ IIL_l1ll Daily News File Photo Amrican Legion members salute as the national anthem is played at a Ve terans Day program in Frederiksted. Events honor servicemen and veterans By AlDETH LEWIN Daily News Staff Monday is Veterans Day, but the whole month of November is Military Appreciation Month, and a series of activities are planned to honor and pay tribute to those who fought for our country. Today, veterans will visit two St. Croix schools to give presentations to students. Members of American Legion Post 102 will be "teachers for a day" at Ricardo Richards Elementary School. They also will present gi fts to the school and administer an essay contest for students. American Legion Post 133 will be at Arthur Richards Jr. High School talking to students about veterans issues. "These arc things they're doing through the week to celebrate Veterans Day and National Education Week," American Legion District Commander Charles David said. Parades and programs honoring the territory's veterans will take place Sunday and Monday. Sunday, St. Thomas will host a Veterans Day Parade and ceremony. The parade starts at 3 p.m. at Addelita Cancryn Junior High School and travels to Franklin Delano Roosevelt Veterans Memorial Park. Retired Army Sgt. I st Class Patrick Farrell will be the parade marshal, and the ceremony will feature retired Lt. Col. Marilyn Georges of tile U.S. Marine Corps as the guest speaker. On Monday, St. Croix and St. Jolm will host Veterans Day parades and programs. On St. Croix, the parade starts at 9:30 a.m. sharp at Bassin Triangle and ends at the Christiansted grandstand. "This year we have as our parade marshal retired Sgt. Major. Monroe F. Clendenden Jr.," David said. At the bandstand, the guest speaker will be Virdin C. Brown, the civilian aide to the secretary of the Anuy for the Vrrgi n Islands. David said many youths will be participating in the parade including the marching bands from Central High School and St. Croix Educational Complex, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl Scouts. The American Legion will also have a large contingent marching in the parade, he said. "It should be a good parade, just remembering and thanking the veterans for their service and all they've done helping to keep us free," David said. On St. John, the parade will start at 3 p.m. in Cruz Bay, fo llowed by a program in Franklin Powell Park. David said the parade marshal will be Elmo Rabsett Sr., and Georges lllso will be the guest speaker on St. John. "We're expecting the governor to make presentations at all of these events," David said. On Thursday, a tree planting ceremony will take place 5:30 p.m. in Frederiksted at Verne Richards Veterans Park. "That wi1l marc or less close out the week for Veterans�" David said. Gov. John deJongb Jr. granted all government workers administrative leave Monday to participate in the fe stivities honoring the territory's veterans. "I urge all residents of the territory to remember the sacrifices and contributions of all those who, when called upon to do so, served this territory and this nation honorably in time of war and peace to preserve our heritage of freedom," deJongh stated in his Veterans Day proclamation. "We must rededicate ourselves to the task of promoting world peace as the IllOst profound reward which we might bestow upon our veterans." For more .information about Veterans Day activities call David at 712-7766 or the St. Thomas-St. John District Office of Veterans Alfairs at 774HS100 . • - Co ntact repo rter A/delh Lewin a/ 714- 9111 or em ail a/ewin@,dailynews.vi. There's a new option for treating uterine fibroids. It's non-surgical and doesn't require a hospital stay. It's uterine fibroid embolizatiOn (UFE) performed by St. Thomas Radiology Associates. Learn more at www.radiology.vi or call 774-0265 for a consultation_ St. Thomas Radiology Associates Paragon Medical Building Suite 103 St. Thomas, USVI 41i� �re I.a;;,, ;. ST,THOMAS RADIOLOGY ASSOCIATES INDUSTRIOUS AUTO PARTS . • Large Inventory In-Stock • Parts Shipped to the BVI, St. John & St. Croix • Locally Owned & Operated Providing Over 35 Years of Service Two Convenient Locations Sub Base 774-1585 Monday-Friday 8-5 pm Saturday 8-12 pm www.lndustriousAuto.com Tutu 774-0707 10 The Virgin Islands Daily News FOR THE RECORD Friday, November 9, 2012 The police blotter is the Y.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency's list of incidents and the time they were reported to the police. St. Croix Charged: Possession of stolen property Vaskin Jacobs, 23, of Estate Grove Place was arrested 2:53 p.m. Wednesday and charged with possession of stolen property. Police said he was found with parts on his vehicle John B. Weekes Sr. On Nov. 1, 2012, John B. Weekes Sr., owner of Weekes & Weekes Bakery, quietly slipped away into the arms of his Lord and Savior at home with close family and friends by his side. He has left behind a very large family, oceans of friends and the community he loved and gave so generously to. He was best known for his world famous hot John B. and tasty butter . Weekes Sr. bread. The fIrst viewing will be held Nov. 16, 2012, at Davis Funeral Home Chapel from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a celebration of his life at Palins Court Harborview at 7 p.m. The second viewing will be held Nov. 17, 2012, at Y.l. Christian Ministries in Bolongo Bay at 8 a.m., followed by the service at 10 3.m. The burial will be private. He was preceded in death by his children, Arthur "Kiyama" Lewis and Jacqueline Weekes Ivory. . He is survived by his wife, Audrey M. Weekes; children, Elman Weekes, Paulette Weekes Trocard, Debra Weekes Allen, Charmine Weekes, Jacinth Weekes Gray, Eloise Weekes Lewis, Bernice Weekes. Anthony, Felix Weekes, Andy Weekes, Wendy Weekes Carbon, Deter Weekes, Cindy Weekes Kydd, Marsha Weekes Williams, Eustace Weekes, John Weekes Jr., Shenelle Weekes, Chantel Weekes, Tanya Weekes, A�tavia Weekes, Johanna Weekes; grandchildren, Aswad Weekes, Zowadie Weekes, Nayaka Weekes, Ricardo Allen, Renaldo Allen, Renee Allen, Marcia We ekes Garcia, Noel Gray Jr., Natalie Gray, Orencia Herbert, Ethelyn Newton, Dawn Charlemagne, Ezekiel Watt ley, Rochelle Mack, Akiel Mack, Toushika Anthony, Chef'ton Newton, Sharima Newton, Marissa Newton, D'andre Weekes, Brianna that had been reported stolen. He was released on $10,000 bail. Incidents recorded in the police blotter Thursday included: Assault - 5:21 p.m. Thursday, La Reine; 6:57 p.m. Thnrsday, Peter's Rest. Burglary - 6:48 p.m. Wednesday, Mo'unt Pleasant; 10:20 p.m. Wednesday, Estate Profit; 8:50 a.m. Thnrsday, Mount Pleasant; 9:36 a.m. Thursday, Work and Rest; 3:14 p.m. Thnrsday, La Grande Princesse. Destruction of property - 8:06 a.m. Thnrsday, Sprat Hall. Larceny - 10:46 a.m. Thnrsday, Kydd, Brinya Kydd, Zion Weekes, Britney Weekes, Shekinah Weekes, Hezekiah Weekes, Kymoi Weekes, Jude Weekes, D'mari Weekes Hunte, . Karisma Weekes, Noris Wilkins, Terrance Leonard, Samarie George; brothers, Everton Meade, Aldrick Me·ade, George Meade, Julian Meade, Arthur Meade, the Edward Jackson Meade family out of English Habour, Antigua; sons-jnlaw, Andrew Williams, Eustace Trocard, Brian Kydd, James Carbon, Omir Lewis; special friend, Marcola Carlo; and caretakers, Mary Carpio and Nelia Mesca. Arrangements are by Davis Funeral Home. - Obituary written by the family. Paula Gonzalez Martinez Paula Gonzalez Martinez, 87, formerly of st. Thomas, died in Loganville, Ga., on Oct. 28, 2012. Services will be held at II a.m Saturday at Nuestra Senora del Carmen Catholic Church in Culebra, Puerto Rico. The family will re'ceive friends and relatives at the church at· 10:30 a.m. Services will be held later and Paula Gonzalez burial will follow Martinez at Culebra Municipal Cemetery. A memorial service will be held on SI. Thomas at a later date. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Hermenegildo "Gildo" Martinez. In 1944, they opened their first grocery store on Kronprindsens Gade, St. Thomas, where they served the people of the area for 12 years. In 1956. they moved to Contant 7B-15 where they operated Martinez Self-Service until 1980 when they retired. and moved to their birthplace of Culebra, where they lived until Gildo passed away in 2005. Paula relocated to Atlanta, Ga., where she lived with her daughter Sonia M. Greaux and son-in-law, Roland H. Police. Reports Sunny Isles; 2:04 p.m. Thursday, Castle CoakJey. Outside fire - 9:06 p.m. Wednesday, st. George's; 3:01 p.m. Thnrsday, South Shore Road. Structure fire - 9:12 a.m. Thursday, Mount Pleasant; 11:0 I a.m. Thnrsday, st. George's . . St. Thomas Charged: Burglary Edward Richards, 30, of St. John, was arrested at 6 p.m. Tuesday and charged with third-degree burglary on Kronprindsens Gade. Bond was Deaths set at $55,000. Charged: Driving under the influence Lisa Babcock, 39, of Estate Hope, was arrested at 10:15 p.m. Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence and negligent driving, Bond was set at $500. Incidents recorded in the police blotter Wednesday and Thursday included: Assault - 9:53 a.m. Thursday, Contant; 3:16 p.m. Thursday, Bovoni; 3:46 p.m. Thursday, Tutu Hi-Rise. + Funeral Schedule + Name Date of death Service Arrangements Sl. Thomas Jennie V. Douglas ........... Oct. 28, 20 12 ........ Pending .......... Turnbull's Egbert Evanson .............. Oct. 29, 20 12 ........ Wednesday ..... Tu rnbull's Slyvia Agatha Hyacinth .... Oct. 29, 20 12 ........ Tocay ............. John Thomas Neville Lee ..................... Oct. 30 , 20 12 ........ Pending .......... Tu rnbull's Louis V. Murray .............. Sept. 27, 20 12...... Pending .......... John Thomas Liston L. Powell Jr ........... Oct. 22, 20 12........ Saturday ........ Tu rnbull's Freddy N. Sanchez .......... Sept. 7, 2012 ........ Pending .......... John Thomas Andre Tanise .................. Sept. 7, 20 12 ........ Pending .......... John Thomas Charles Smith ................ Oct. 27, 2012 ....... Pending ......... Davis Jemilia Vergara ............... Oct. 23, 20 12 ........ Pending .......... Tu rnbull's Josephine Espirit·Webster ... Oct. 29, 20 12 .......... Pending ............ Tumbull's John Weeks Sr. ................. Nov. 1, 20 12............ Nov. 17 ........... Davis Iva Williams ................... Oct. 23, 20 12........ Saturday ........ Turnbull's Karimah Williams ........... Oct. 28, 20 12 ........ Tocay ............. Davis Greaux, until her passing. . She is survived by her sister, Virginia· Gonzalez; children, Sonia M. Greaux, Luz A. Moron, Paula M. Buice and Gildo A. Martinez; sons-in law, Roland H. Greaux, Robert G. Moron and David C. Buice; daughter-in-Iaw, Constance D. Martinez; grandchildren, Ashlee Martinez, Roland H. Greaux II and his wife, Amber Greaux, Melissa Greaux White, Robert G. Moron II and wife, Noelle Moron, Christopher G. Moron, Andrea Buice Crockett and husband, John H. Crockett; greatgrandchildren, Dylan H. White, Brayden H. White and Deven J. Moron; special sisters-in- law, Amelia Barbosa and Ramonita Romero-Gonzalez; special nieces, Noemi Gonzalez, Myrta G. Benet and Diana Gonzalez; nephew, Beno Gonzalez. She is also survived by the Barbosa, Gonzalez and Carrillo families of St. Thomas, the Gonzalez family of Culebra, and many other relatives and friends, [n lieu of flowers, and in her memory, donations can be made to Clear Blue Sky, Inc., P.q. Box 778, St. Thomas, y.1. 00804, phone 340-774- 9688. Clear Blue Sky, Inc. is a 50 I (c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps people with mental illness reach their full potential. Arrangements are by the Tim Stewart Funeral Home in Loganville, Ga., and Carrasco Funeral Home in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. - Obituary written by thefami/y. Iva Williams Services will be held Saturday for Iva Williams, who died Oct. 23, 2012. The viewing is from 5 to 7 p.m. to'day at Turnbull's Funeral Home, with the service at 10 a.m .. Saturday at All Saints Church. The burial will be at Western Cemetery No. I. Iva Williams She is survived by li daughter, Merle Hodge-Caines; sisters, Iris Larcheveaux Adams, Beulah Larcheveau Wilson, Eldra Larcheveaux, Eleanor Larcheveaux Tyson; brothers, Luther Davis, Lionel Larcheveaux; sister-in-law, Mary Malone; brother-in-law, Romeo Malone; grandsons, Raymond (Malo) George, Reynaldo (Yambo) St. George, Ivan Smith, Douglas (Dougie) Smith, Mark D. Hodge, Matthew D. Hodge; granddaughters,. Marilyn (Bạmbi) George, Joanne BurgIary - 7:33 p.m. Wednesday, Hull Bay; 8:05 a.m. Thursday, Hull Bay. Larceny - 8:53 a.m. Thursday, Marina Market; 12:59 p.m. Thnrsday, AJ Cohen Mall. Structure fire - 2:05 p.m. Thnrsday, Polyberg Hill. Vehicle damage - 10:58 a.m. Thnrsday, Garden Street. St. John Incidents recorded in the police blotter Thursday included: Assaul� - I: 16 p.m. Thursday, Cruz Bay. Smith, Charmaine Caines, Pamela Browne-Hodge, Cheryl Dawson­ Rob�es, Nynier Hodge-Johnson, Amy Hodge; great-grandchildren, Ymassie George, Kambo George, Yambo George, Cheneva George, Travis George, Promise George, Pain George, Zia George, Joy George, Raheem George, Kareem . George, ShinaeMica George, Takea George, K'Shambo George, Rambo George, Tikisha George, Kwanza George, Kimisa George, Andre George, Angela St. George, Rama St. George, Kaloma Smith, Tau Smith, Tacuma Smith, Machida Smith, Zachea Smith, Shantel Smith, Marianne Smith, Kera Smith, Patrick Daniel, Damal Smith, K'Shawn Robles, Chequida Robles, Chereda Robles, Pamesha Perez, Richard (Rakeel) Hodge, Rakiesha Hodge; great-great-grandchildren, Ymassie George Jr., Kmani George, Torriar George, Travis George Jr., Allyanna George, Amir George, Knica George, Seshaun George, Jodiya Williams, Ashae Williams, Jeremy Williams, Millian Brown, Derrick Banks Jr. David Lugar Jr, Davion Dorsett; .nieces, Lera Richards; Lela Holder, Lita Adams, Lois, Cheryl Duran, Andrea Duran, Marisa Duran, Parrish Warren, Kamona Warren-Cham, Rita Robles, Andrea Larcheveaux, Amelia Larcheveaux, Tesha Larcheveaux, Deborah Larcheveaux, Shenyl Larcheveaux, Emily Larcheveaux, Christie Larcheveaux; nephews, Leroy Adams, Allen Estiridge, Alva Estridge, Vern Parson, Christopher Davis, Michael Davis, Bruce Duran, Michael Duran, Kevin Duran, Bryan Duran; close cousins, Gloria Lenard and Janet; caretaker, Felicia A. Brownlow; and goddaughter, Yveonne Warker. She was preceded' in death by a son, Conrad Lorenzo Hodge; sisters, Rita Larcheveaux Santos, Louise Larcheveaux Ali; brother, Archibald Larcheveaux; nieces, Rosalind Tarver, Michelle Duran; and nephew, Keith Duran. Arrangements are by Turnbull's Funeral Home. 24 The Virgin Islands Daily News The Virgin Islands Daily News � Founded Aug. 1� 1930, by ]. Antonio Jarvis and Ariel Melchior Sr. • Published by Daily News Publishing Co. �� Jason Robbins. Publisher Kevin Downey, Advertising Director Onneka 0Ia11enger, Circulation Director EDITORIAL BOARD 8} J. Lowe Davis. Executive Editor Ken E. Ryan, Production Direaor Maurice Jackson, Billing & Collections Manager -EDITORIAL OBSERVER­ An invigorated second term From The Ne w Yo rk TImes: Early Wednesday moming, as sleep-deprived supporters rallied for a final cheer, President Barack Obama concluded his re-election campaign with a promising glimpse at what the fight was all about: a second-term agenda that can make real progress on issues neglected in the first. Without question, the president intends to build on and improve the significant accomplishments of the last four years, particularly the full implementation of health care reform and the use of government policy to keep the economy growing. But the president went beyond that in his victory speech and added some less familiar words to his policy vocabulary. Children should live in a world that is not burdened by debt or weakened by inequality, he said, but also one "that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet." That suggests he knows he has an opportunity to address climate change with more vigor, going beyond auto-mileage standards and renewable-energy jobs to possibly advocating tougher carbon emissions standards. The president also said he was looking forward to working with Republicans to fix the immigration system, giving him a chance to do more than promote the DREAM Act for young immigrants. He could lead the way to comprehensive reform that combines strong enforcement with a path to citizenship for immigrants already here. He also hinted that combating poverty might move higher on his priority list. And he spoke of tax reform, an issue that will immediately begin to grow louder with the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts at year's end. Obama won re-election on an unambiguous promise not to renew those cuts for incomes of $250,000 or more, and his supporters eXpect him to stick to that vow. In coming months, after he persuades Congress to keep taxes from rising on the middle class, he should push to restore a fair estate tax and raise the low capital gains rate to the level of ordinary income. He even mentioned the need to fix a balloting system that left thousands of people standing in long lines to vote this week, a tantalizing hint that electoral reform might become a priority. All these agenda items require the same ingredient: ending his standoffish attitude toward Congress and working closely with any leader or lawmaker willing to make real progress. That may be easier now that Senate Democrats (and their independent allies) have expanded their majority by two seats to 55, many of them filled with newcomers more liberal and feisty than their predecessors, most notably.ElizaMth Warren ofMassachuseUs. The new Democratic caucus' first order of business should be a reform of the filibuster that prevents its routine abuse by Republicans, and the majority leader, Harry Reid, suggested Wednesday that he supported some modest changes. The newcomers, along with the White House, should forcefully advocate Iliat he go as far as possible, A newly energized Obarna administration and Senate could have the effect of isolating the supply-side dead-enders in the House. John Boehner, the House speaker, announced Wednesday that nothing had changed; he and his caucus still oppose higher tax rates for the rich and still want to pursue Romney's defeated goal of raising revenue by lowering rates and cutting unspecified loopholes. Standing up to Republican recalcitrance on this and many other issues will require bringing to bear political pressure from the coalition that gave Obarna a commanding victory in the Electoral College on Thesday. The president's victory was decisive, and many who didn't support him nonetheless told pollsters that they agreed with his positions on taxes, health care and immigration. He now needs to use the power that voters have given to him to enhance and broaden his agenda. See Your Views In Print We require that you include your full name, island of residence and telephone number so our staff can contact you. We will not print the phone numbers, but we will call you to verify that the letter or column came from you and to discuss any significant editing that might be necessary. Send Letters, Essays, Halos and Pitchforks, Cartoons or other original material to: [email protected]. OPINIONS Friday, November 9, 201 2 u.s. politics changes for the better America has changed. There are periods when we grow as a society in degrees. Then there are times when we take great leaps forward. If you examine the history of our country back to the days of the first Spanish, English and French immigrants, you will see certain moments when our national dynamic shifted. 1bis week, we saw a moment when the America that has been growing and changing by degrees met with a moment when America made a hard tum on its path. For years we have seen the browning of America. For years we have seen the tolerance and acceptance level of different religions, economic conditions, sexual orientations, political beliefs and ancestries grow in measured steps through the increase in on.,. on-one interactions and social media. - For years we have seen the steady progress of women, and felt a subtle shift in the rllythm of America. This week, we saw several of these trends converge in a moment when it became evident that once again, America has changed. The demographics of the exit polls tell an interesting story. President Obama's support came overwhelmingly from groups of people who are often described as disenfumchised: • Those who make less than $50,000 per year; • Those with some or no college education; -Women; • Young people; • People of color. These groups, who in the past have felt like their votes were taken for granted, for the first time in a long time, saw their votes carry weight that makes them get noticed. People more "wonky" than me will �®2P'??'�\b5T.�i2m' Mariel Blake be going over these numbers for months to come. These numbers tell me, though, that the reason why so many people were surprised about the outcome in this race ignored the numbers that had nothing to do with polls. They want to say that it is because these communities were voting to keep their entitlements and "handouts," but that is just a denial of the real truth. What people want is to no longer feel disenfumchised and marginali:ml What people want is for their voices to be included, not shouted down. Recent data shows that women now outnumber men by a slim margin. More people live in cities. People of color now make up alinost a third of the population. The average age is 37. Almost two thirds of us own homes, but there are more of us who have either never been married or are divorced than there are those ofus who . are martied. The fastest shrinking - demographic is white men. So many of the people who fit the demographics that elected President Obarna are those in demographics that are seeing their numbers grow and also are becoming more politically active and savvy. They are truly looking to connect with candidates who have their concerns in mind. These are not one issue voters. They care about the economy but they also care about their place in our society. They want their social issues to be a part of the discussion. Our national identity is more about inclusion than assimilation. This is a vast switch from wbere we have been Those of us in groups that have been considered on the fringe ·or in the minority have found solidarity in our experiences in this country and are increasingly deciding we are no longer satisfied with trying to fit in and would rather have a seat at the table as our unique selves. Women, the LGBT community and Latinos made great strides with this election. AfricanAmericans and young people reminded the political parties of the value of their support. There is a lot of finger pointing from the Republican .talking heads as to why their candidate lost. It seems they are slowly coming to realize it was not only whom they ran as candidates but also where those candidates stood on issues that are important to this growing voting power block. I was struck by how few people of color were in the crowds for Mitt Romney toward the end of the campaign. It was like they no longer cared about even the illusion of inclusion, and instead decided to hank their future on their main demographic. What their campaign failed to take into consideration is that the issues that matter most to people right now stretch across racial and gender lines. Those of us usually considered on the fringe are multifaceted and have learned a very powerful lesson after this election. When we band together to get our issues on the agenda, we force the conversation to change. Hopefully, both parties have learned that you don't have to pander to us, but you do have to listen to us because we are not going away. America has changed, and ifhistory is any indication that is a very good thing. Let's just hope we embrace the change in the spirit of cooperation and not segregation. - Co ntact Daily News co ntributing co lumnist Mariel Blake at marie/[email protected]. • • • I j Friday, November 9, 2012 OPINIONS Happy days, even with the cliff La Di Dab Di Dab ... We have been through a lot, people. • But now the presidential race is settled Barack Obama won. People on both sides worked heroically, and, on Thesday, their candidates behaved well. This should be a happy time. Ob, my God! There's a fiscal cliffl We're all going to fall over and go bankrupt! Did you just hear the cheerful rule? The fiscal cliff doesn't happen until the end of the year when the Bush tax cuts expire and monster budget cuts automatically kick in. Now that the election's over, everybody will certainly be ready to move forward and WOlX something out. Except possibly Gov. Rick Perry, who celebrated the president's re-election by demanding the repeal of Obamacare. And then there was Donald Trump, who tweeted during the vote count: "Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us." Actually Trump has no conceivable impact on anything. I just wanted to take this opportunity to reminisce about the time he sent me an irate, handwritten message in which he misspelled the word "too." But look at Rep. John Boehner. On • Wednesday, the House speaker gave a speech in which he vowed to be cooperative. "Mister President, this is your moment. We're ready. to be led," he said. Except for a few no-go areas, such as any tax increases on "small business." You may remember from previous erises that the House Republicans oppose raising income taxes on the wealthy because it would impact struggling small businesses such as a hedge • , Gail Collins fimd manager with an eight-figure annual income. Boehner also raised a whole new specter of political peril: "going over part of the fiscal cliff." That sounded less dire, as long as we all slay inside our dangling cars and refrain from making any moves until help arrives. But, by the end, it sounded as if the only cliff-avoidance Boehner was really interested in was one that raised new revenue through "fewer loopholes, and lower rates for all." We have already seen that plan. It was proposed by a man who, on Tuesday, lost the state in which he was born, the slate in which he was governor and the three slates in which he owns houses. Thanks to a blog by Eric Ostermeier in Smart Politics, I am able to point out that the only candidate for president who lost his home state by a larger margin than Mitt Romney was John Fremont in 1856. And Fremont was coming out of a campaign in which the opposition accused him of being a cannibal. While Boehner was explaining the importance of not going halfway over a cliff, or raising income taxes on the ricb, he looked somber and somewhat unhappy. This may have been because his Republican colleagues just lost the White House and the Senate. Or perhaps, it was simply because he's an . older white guy, and, therefore, part of the biggest loser demographic of the election, the flip-side of the insurgent Latino vote. On election nigh� people were talking about the not-young male population as if they were a dwiodling tribe of graybeards sitting around a sputtering stove in Oklaboma Republican _ gist John Weaver worried about beconting "a shrinking regional party of ntiddle-aged and older white men." On Fox News, Bill O'Reilly moaned that "the white establishment is now the minority." O'Reilly, 63, added that the new majority was composed of people who "want stuff." As opposed to older white men, all of whom have signed a pledge Dever to accept veteran benefits, Social Security or Medicare. "It's not a traditional America anymore," O'Reilly sadly concluded Almost everybody thinks of the world of their youth as the traditional world. In the future, today's teenagers will he looking back and mournfully declaring that traditional America was a place where folks really knew how to Twitter. Still, it's unseemly to identify the true America as the one where your group ran everything. Cheer up, white men! You seem to be doing OK. Next year women will have 20 percent of the seats in the U.s. Senate, and we're celebrating. And since it looks as if we're not getting any downtime, we'll have to get cracking on this latest congressional crisis. Root for a bipartisan solution that does not involve the White House's being hijacked by a guy who keeps babbling about going halfway over a cliff In the past, when these things came up, the president's big failing was his inability to hide his contempt for many of the people who occupy Capitol Hill. Now it's a new day, and he needs to be so perpetually and visibly avaiJahle that the negotiator.; beg to be left alone. If all else fails, strap John Boehner to the roof of a car.· - Gail Co llins is a New . Yo rk TImes columnist. ����� 2012 The Virgin Is!ands Daily News.25 Can Republi·cans adapt? This was one that the Republicans really should have won. Given the weak economy,American voters were open to firing President Barack Obama. In Europe, in similar circumstances, onc government after another lost re-election. And, at the begimting of this year, it looked as if the Republicans ntight win control of the U.S. Senate as well. Yet it wasn't the Democrats who won so much as the Republicans who lost - at a most basic level, because of demography. A coalition of aging white men is a recipe for failure in a nation that increasingly looks like a rainbow. Schadenfreude may excuse Democrats' smiles for a few days, but these trends portend a potential disas ter not just for the Republican Party but for the health of our political system. America needs a plausible center-right opposition party to hold Obama's feet to the ftre, not just a collection of Tea Party cranks. So liberals as well as conservatives should be rooting for the Republican Party to feel sufficiendy shaken that it shifts to the center. One hopeful sign is that political parties usually care more about winning than about purism. Thus the Democratic Party embraced the pragmatic center-left Bill Clinton in 1992 after three consecutive . losses in presidential elections. That was painful for many liberals, who cringed when Clinton interrupted campaigning in the 1992 primary to·burnish his law-and-order credentials by overseeing the execution of a mentally impaired murderer. But it was, on balance, less painful than los ing again. You would expect the Republican Party to make a similar lurch to the center. But many Republican leaders still inhabit a bubble. It was stunning how many, from Karl Rove to Newt Gingrich, seemed to expect a Mitt Romney victory. And some of the right-wing postmortems are suggesting that Romney lost because he was too libetal-which constitutes a defirtition of delusional. Imagine what would have happened if the Republican nominee had been Gingrich or Rick Santorum. We surely would have seen a Democratic landslide. On the other hand, if the Republicans had nominated Jon Huntsman Jr., they ntight have been the ones celebrating right now. But he had no chance in Republican prima: ries because primary voters are their party's worst enemy. Part of the problem, I think, is the profusion of right-wing radio and television programs. Democrats complain furiously that Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity smear the left, but I wonder if the bigger loser isn't the Republican Party itself Those shows whip up a frenzy in their audience, torpedoing Republican moderates and instilling paranoia on Nicholas D. Kristof issues lik§ iriunigratioo. All tIiis sOund and tiny Cllines!>es the Repul!1i<:an Party in an �Iogical cocoon· and impedes it from reaching Out to swing-staJe centrists, or even unilerstanding theni:-The vor tex spills C evir fuster and riSkS·becom ing an ideOlogical blac.khol�. • In 2002, a book was l'ublished called 'The Emefging Democratic Majority!,'1t argu"" that DemocratS would gain because Or theif.strength in expanding demographies such as . HispaniCs, Asian·Americans and, working women. It seemed persua- . sive until Repubiicans clobbered . , DemocratS in the next couple of elections. . � But perhaps that boo".was of its time. This was the tiISJ. election in which Hjspanic votersDwie up a double-digit share ofthe . �rate, accordingcw CNN . percent, doUbled from more thait"1·liutoflO Hic voteiS }; pater' lIJ!!!ents abouṭ lape by -Ii �lican candidates reS . . because they or-the GO!, uch men As Rep. T0d4 Akin of Missouri ntight put i� w�·a .candidate emerges with offensive: :v:iews about rape, "the female body.has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." Namely, they vote DeWocratic. America. is changing. After this election, a reoord 20 senators will be women, almost all of them Democrats. Opposition to sarne-sex marriage used to be a way for . Republicans to trumpet their morality; now it's seen as highlighting their bigotry. . An astonishing 45 percent of Obama voters were members of ntinority groups, according to The Tunes' Nate Silver. Many others were women or young people. That's the future of America, and if the Republican Party remains a purist cohort built around grumpy old white men, it is committing suicide. That's bad not just for conservatives but for our entire country. - Nicholas D. Kristof is a New Yo rk Times (:o /umnist. Contact him at Facebo ok.comIKristof, Twitter. comlNickKristof or by mail a/ The New Yo rk Times. 620 Eighth Ave .• New Yo rk. NY /0018. - • Former local hoops player makir,g'it on TV ,�age 39 College hoops tip off in style tonight Page 41 . . . Meet ' __ -"-- __ .. _ �."'pNu.� ._..J ... ___ _ PI'P'1fIWIII1tr -..� , The VirgiIi' Islands'Daily News Sports Friday, November 9, 2012 '--_.- ----- - .• _-_._-.. _-- , ----...: Alf>,wnder L',ntl rd, M ,D, �� ,.'�f�) !:�,)irl_<;tj O ' �h �p() �rj l r. �lJfqe,o.n ; .. n ... ,., �n;·,·r Hjit')C)�J r) 'I�" � �'!�9 'J I � .•• • J,; � •. " f,.,:.<!-dj!;� ir, r,,)'H'!'J , �. !ojr . ... � ,'",. .ir,C) "'.1.,,,,.�1 - " PIC}'J�CJ- 'i� ;� Ihs COG 'II.';) h;i'C) }(i ] ',r)tr'1 'Jhc,ut [Jr. Lqr,'u'J '.or �C)IC)ph'J r,C) : �:4r)) 71?-L('6�� o l'J c:::J • Arawat,ks��se�k season sweep of Kean tonight ,·f '... . ' • , • �B yTIM-=c=CHAPM�AN - Daily News Staff TACKLE FOOTBALL '/ Daily News Photo by TIM CHAPMAN St. Thomas-St. John Private Schools Arawaks senior Omar Henderson tackles senior teammate Patrick Leonard during Thursday's practice at Antilles School. ST. THOMAS - Luke Neely might not know where to begin if he were in an opposing coach's position and had to gameplan against his St. Thomas-St. Jobo Private Schools Arawaks. The variety of fonnations running through his no-huadle offense can be a headache for defenses. "It's difficult," Neely said. "We're a multi-formation, multi-game offense. We run a power game, a gap . scheme to zone scheme. It's a lot to prepare for. Teams could potentially stop us." Ivanna Eudora Kean High School (1-3) hopes to turn that potential into reality when the two teams meet at 7 tonight in an IAA tackle football . game at Lionel Roberts Stadiwn, The Arawaks (2·1) crushed the Devil Rays, 44-0, in the season opener, which ended early in the fourth quarter because of the league's mercy rule. "We hope that the defense, by now, has learned the schemes," Kean High coach Elroy Donovan Jr. said. "It was the first game of the season and we have a lot of young guys." Donova"n is eager to see if his defense learned from the tough les· sons 'handed out by the Arawaks' senior tailback tandem of Chris Cilliers and David McDonald. Cilliers pounded his way to two rushing toucbdowns and a receiving touchdown, and McDonald led the team with 75 rushing yards on seven carries. At 210 pounds, Cilliers can easily shed routine tackles . "He's a big, strong guy," Donovan said. "Our guys have to realize that you have to adjust for that type of running back. We can't expect to wrap him up high and take him down." At 170 pounds, McDonald offers a !/",edy change of pace. But he won't sby away from contact. "They're tough guys to bring down," Neely said. "They're bruisers and it's gonna take two or three guys" to bring them down at any time." Arawaks dropped a 22-8 game See FOOTBALL, page 42 Kean High's energy lifts them over 55. Peter and Paul, 4-1 ByTIM CHAPMAN Daily News Staff ST. THOMAS.-There is no question who the vocal leader is on the Ivanna Eudora Kean Higb School girls varsity volleyball team. ChanteU Grant can he heard loud and.clear after nearly every point. VARS ITY VOLLEYBALL After dfopping the first game by II points against Ss. Peter and Paul on Thursday at Keav High, Grant and the Lady Rays began communicating. The result was a loose, .energetic and more confident team through the next three games as Kean High won the match, 4-1 (14- 25, 26-24, 25-16,25-18). "I got to cheer them up," Grant said. "That's that motivation. My team's gonna back.me up too, you know." Grant backed up her talk and recorded two consecutive aces in the final game to push the lead to 17·9. She was also involved in a signalure point of the match when three Kean High players on three different hits had to lunge and punch at the ball with one hand to keep the volley alive. The Lady Jaguars were stunned when Kean sophomore Akia Frett finished that point by hitting See VO.LLEYBALL, page 42 .0_4' 1 ___ , S_L • •