[Solved] If you are thinking of moving to the Virgin Islands, read this.

Hi stjohnjulie

Sorry for not getting back sooner, the fight that I talk about in "The Real Estate Commission is a Stain on the Virgin Island" is consuming a lot of my writing time.

I am aware of your questions and plan on answering them as well as adding my treatise on education at the end of my posts about education; I only have a couple left to go.

Teaching in STX27

The last class I taught for UVI CELL was probably the weirdest. The Department of Human Services decided to have a computer class conducted for SNAP recipients. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is that program that used to be called Food Stamps. I suppose teaching computer skills to folks who can’t afford food is a good idea; maybe they’ll get a job or a better paying job and won’t need the SNAP benefits.

Angel was in charge on STX but the woman who ran UVI CELL on STT was her boss. That woman sent a two hundred page file to Angel that I was supposed to teach to the students. Angel printed the file and gave it to me to go over in my spare time. I was shocked – WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP! I couldn’t even read the whole thing. I started off reading, then went to skimming, then flipped through a dozen pages at a time just looking for anything that might have the least amount of value. There was nothing. Angel’s boss must have found this file on a Microsoft web site. After two hundred pages, the students would have learned how to turn on a computer, move some icons around, look in folders, but do nothing with anything in a folder. They would accomplish NOTHING. I’m not saying everything was trivial. I’m a retired software engineer and there was stuff in this file that explained how to do things that I had never heard of. However, I don’t really care if I hold down two keys and right and left click the mouse at the same time that something will happen that I could just as well do using two additional seconds and pressing individual keys. I’m not going to waste my time memorizing these stupid tricks and I was sure my SNAP folks would get absolutely nothing out of my class.

I asked Angel what I should do. She agreed the two hundred page printout was garbage but she also told me she couldn’t disobey her boss. But then she started talking in a strange voice and sort of said that what she didn’t know about she wouldn’t be able to do anything about. She was really stressed. I told her I’d take care of things.

At the first class I asked the students if they all knew how to use a computer. They did, so I tossed the two hundred page printout. I decided to have the class either learn or just practice Microsoft Office over the ten week course. I had them write a resume using Word. Then I had them envision their own restaurant and create a menu in Word, create advertising using PowerPoint, and even generate an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of their bookkeeping. I showed the whole class how to begin each project then I worked with them individually to help them along. There was one guy who was kind of a square peg in a round hole. He was one of those people who you can’t guess their age because they look so used up. When it was time to do resumes, he told me that the only job he ever had was selling drugs and he had been doing it for over twenty years. I told him to put “self-employed” on his resume. Even though he was keeping up with the class, he vanished before the course was over.

Everything else went fine. The students thanked me at the end of the course. And Angel even created and signed a certificate that listed what they had learned. They all included their new certificate on their brand new resumes. It was apparent to me that Angel was getting burned out. She never called me again. Sometime later, I learned that she had left STX for Florida.

Teaching in STX28

In my stories about my first teaching job at Complex, I commented that I was aware of a lack of a work ethic in my students. During my next year at Manor School I came across a 200 page soft-covered book entitled, “NAEP 1992 Mathematics State Report for the Virgin Island.” NAEP stands for National Assessment of Educational Progress. The US Department of Education contracts for tests to be given nationwide so that reports can be generated showing all sorts of demographics and proficiency levels. You can check out various state and regional data yourself at –

https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/

I believe the USVI had students tested on a trial basis back in 1992 but not since. I was fascinated by this book because of the type of test given and the VI’s results. The test given was a standardized test obviously. BUT IT WASN’T MULTIPLE CHOICE. I had never seen a standardized test where the test takers had to solve mathematical problems and THEN WERE GRADED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORK. And if work is graded, what is likely to show up other than a work ethic?

Back when I was a student in elementary school, I remember taking a standardized test. There was a girl in my class who could best be summed up by the word, “special”; good kid, just not very bright. I was working away, when I looked up for a moment and saw her just filling in the little bubbles on the answer sheet like it was a coloring book. I was shocked, she wasn’t using the question book, just filling in bubbles randomly. Remember, I grew up with the dad who said, “Work is good.” I was deeply troubled but went back to work. In later years as both a student and then a teacher, I got very used to seeing kids just randomly filling in bubbles.

The book gives examples of the actual questions asked, the scoring guide, and then results for the VI kids and an average of all the other kids in the US. The following question was given to eight grade students and is called the Marcy Dot Pattern (See if you can do it before reading the answer. As a math teacher, I did it in my head in a couple of seconds) –

This question requires you to show your work and explain your reasoning. You may use drawings, words, and numbers in your explanation. Your answer should be clear enough so that another person could read it and understand your thinking. It is important that you show all your work.

A pattern of dots is shown below (I used +’s because Word thinks dots are part of a list). At each step, more dots are added to the pattern. The number of dots added at each step is more than the number added in the previous step. The pattern continues indefinitely.

(1^st Step)

+ +

(2^nd Step)

+ + +

+ + +

(3^rd Step)

+ + + +

+ + + +

+ + + +

Marcy has to determine the number of dots in the 20^th step, but she doesn’t want to draw all 20 pictures and then count the dots.

Explain or show how she could do this and give the answer that Marcy should get for the number of dots.

This is the scoring guide that the test correctors were using –

No response.

Incorrect.   The work is completely incorrect, irrelevant, or I don’t know.

Minimal.   An attempt to generate or to draw all 20 pictures in the pattern (with a clear understanding of the pattern).

Partial.   A partial (incomplete) correct explanation.

Satisfactory.   Correct explanation of pattern but does not include or omits the correct number of dots (420).

Extended.   Correct answer.

There is a long explanation telling the test correctors what to look for; essentially the students need to say that there is a pattern that starts with 1x2, then 2x3, then 3x4. On the 20^th step Marcy will have 20x21 which is 420.

Here are the grades for the VI and the average of the rest of the US listed by percent in each category.

     No response       Incorrect        Minimal        Partial      Satisfactory     Extended

VI         48                    49                3                0                 0                   0

US        16                    64                9                6                 1                   4

Looking at the scores for Minimal or better, I’m like, “Yah, whatever, VI kids aren’t as smart as the kids in the upper 48.” But I see a universe of difference in the lowest two scores. Ask yourself, “What is the difference between having no clue but filling the page with an attempt or leaving the page blank?” THE ANSWER IS A WORK ETHIC! And three times as many Virgin Island kids left the page blank as the rest of the United States.

Rather than just being qualified, I now could see the lack of a work ethic quantified. But why so little work ethic? I got a job teaching NCCER Welding at Tang How Brothers Inc.

https://www.tanghow.com/category/virgin-island-construction-services/training-school/

The program was paid for by the Department of Labor. I would have about a dozen students in a class. I’m not sure whether these guys wanted to be in this class or were told to; enthusiasm was never overly high. Class was four hours a day, 8 to noon, for several months. The course started off with mostly book learning and less practical but eventually it became all practical.

I had a bunch of guys who were being taught a valuable skill. A job that can pay way better than most, so why didn’t they act that way? Brandon was the only student of mine that I was aware of who eventually got a job as a welder at the refinery. He always used to show up early for class. I would get there at about 7:30, to set things up. Brandon would show up shortly after that. The rest of the class would saunter in according to Cruzan Time. Brandon just wanted to chat with me about the world that was bigger than St. Croix.

One day at around quarter to nine, when the class was still empty except for the two of us, in a very irritated voice, I complained to him, “I don’t understand why these guys are so stupid and lazy.” He responded by saying something that I memorized but didn’t respond to. I didn’t respond because my brain was screaming that what he had just said defied everything that made sense to me. He said, “Dave… these guys… think it’s cool… to be stupid and lazy.”

I want to include a photo in a post. I posted a photo on facebook and got the URL. If I paste the URL in a WORD doc, I can click on it and open the photo. So, I know it works. Does anyone know how to post an image? The directions say

Can I post images?

Yes, the photo must be stored on a website, we do not store photos. Place the URL for the photo itself between the image tags [img] and [/img] within your message; or use the small “insert image” icon in the message tool bar. When you post your message the image should appear. Images should not be included in signatures and should be a normal size. Very large photos can distort our page layout and will be removed. Use the preview link before posting to insure your photo appears correctly in the message box.

I tried [img] and [/img] then img and /img; neither worked. I don't see an "insert image' button and is there a "preview link" button?

I'm new here.

   Currently in Central Europe working at US military installations supporting military troops and their families.

    I'm ready to leave for someplace sunny. Yesterday it was 65F and raining all day. I always say if the temperature is above freezing, it's a heat wave.

   While I'm looking for a small long-term rental place, what I have not found is, what are the average electrical power and water usage rates. Knowing what the charges are per unit, I can use my current usage here to gauge what my utility costs would be

   What I also did not find is the average cost of living.  I used to live in Sardenga in the Med, and have experience with an island economy ... you have to adjust your needs to what is immediately available. I just need to have an idea of costs so I can determine what I will have leftover

   I have noted on Google Maps, I can visually enter the stores and see they carry a large quantity of American products. Are prices competitive with state-side pricing, or more expensive? What would be a rule of thumb to estimate price differentials?

   I know St Thomas has what appears to be a full-service hospital. I wasn't aware there were issues on St Croix. There is a VA outpatient clinic so I can check with the VA how to get medical service

   I have noted St Thomas as having serious issues with power outages, yet rarely have heard St Croix has the same issue

   This but a feeler to get an idea of local island issues that never get off the islands

   Thanks in advance for any pointers and assistance

@san-diego-mike Start a new thread with your post.  You can just copy/paste it into a new post to get it off of this topic to get more answers to your questions.

It might be useful for you to share a few key takeaways or actionable advice from your journey, so readers can benefit from your lessons even before they dive into your blog. Also, your background as an engineer gives you a unique, problem-solving approach, which could inspire more productive discussions on the forum.

I took a month off hoping someone would explain how to post an image. No luck. However, some newbie named San Diego Mike chimes in to demonstrate the sort of person that I refer to as a “One and done”. He is not “doing his homework”, he is asking everyone else to do it for him. Questions like his have been asked numerous times. Did he read those responses? I doubt it. And rather than re-asking the same old questions and getting responses from the same ten people who typically respond in their typical way, he should try this. Go to Google, type, “US Virgin Islands grocery stores.” Then start hitting links of actual grocery stores, not some list compiled by some website. Try, “Pueblo Supermarkets – Grocery, Liquor.” San Diego Mike needs to see A REAL CIRCULAR. The “SPECIALS” tab will get you there. Download both of them. This is doing homework, not wasting people’s time, and getting REAL ANSWERS and not someone’s opinion. NOT HARD. Just for the heck of it, I clicked back and forth between the two, STT and STX. They’re almost identical. It’s amusing to see which items are different, All Purpose Flour, I wonder why.  

Thanks stjohnjulie for telling him to start his own thread, not surprisingly, he didn’t.

Next, MR. MODERATOR delete “sbrewingcompany”, we are all able to see that it’s just a bot. The responses are AI generated babble. If you’re not sure look at the thread about solar systems. THIS THREAD IS FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS NOT PLANETS!

  Ca. Dreamers

(@ca-dreamers)

Posts: 448

Honorable Member

Topic starter

Report

Anyone else on STX having issues with enphase solar system and or pro-solar? 

Posted : May 13, 2024 8:17 am

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  sbrewingcompany

(@sbrewingcompany)

Posts: 7

Active Member

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Our solar system isn't a headache; it's a fascinating cosmic neighborhood! From the scorching Sun to icy Pluto, each planet offers unique wonders. Understanding it enriches our perspective on Earth's place in the universe. Explore through books, documentaries, or planetariums. The more you learn, the more awe-inspiring it becomes!

Posted : July 12, 2024 9:17 am

And if you’re still in doubt, Google “sbrewingcompany”; same name, same logo. They’re just trying to endear themselves to folks who live in places with breweries like Diageo.

CORPORATE OFFICE:

S Brewing Company

No. 32/1 Kadubeesanahalli
Marathalli Outer Ring Road
Bellandur Post
Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

About us

SBC is a part of Jyothirmai Group which was established in the year of 2006 with hands on experience with several breweries, distilleries & in process industries. SBC Team carries more than 20 plus years of expertise in Brewery and Process industry with well-known brands like United Breweries, Carlsberg, SAB Miller, AB Inbev, Diageo, SNJ Breweries, Mount Everest Brewery, Nepal Brewery and many more…

We have done several critical R & D Projects such as Wort simmer & Strip system, CIP system for CO2 Line for AB Inbev. Multi-pump skid system for schneider electric, Hydro pneumatic system for water Storage and Distribution system for SNJ, Yeast Propagation system for Malt spirit Plant for Diageo, CO2 & Filtration Skid, Process vessels etc. The Final outcome of above skill set has helped S Brewing Company to excel in Brewery, Microbrewery, Distillery, Dairy and Bio-Tech Sectors. S Brewing Company is a one stop solution for Process requirements to our valuable customers….!

In response to newbie Dell Feson, MR. MODERATOR, you need to get rid of another BOT. Dell Feson posts a pleasant but stupid request on my thread at 7:01 am on August 22^nd. Dell Feson then posts a very odd response at 7:33 am on the same date to a three year old thread, telling some guy who erroneously asked a question about moving to Vancouver, not the VI, that he should form an LLC in Indiana;  JUST PURE AI GARBAGE.

And if you’re really not sure, do some more Googling. Dell Feson joined “vectorworks.net” on August 21^st , a website where professional roofers get and give advice. Those questions and advice are written by HUMANS. They speak like ordinary guys. On August 22^nd, Dell Feson posted

“The Bearing Height and Bearing Inset parameters are crucial. Bearing Height sets the height at which the roof sits relative to the top of the walls, while Bearing Inset determines how far in from the wall edge the roof starts. Setting the Bearing Inset to 0" can sometimes lead to alignment issues, so adjusting this parameter might help.

If the Roof Style settings aren’t giving you the control you need, manual adjustments might be necessary. You’ve already been adjusting the roof position manually, which can be a good workaround. However, it's important to check if any settings might be overriding these adjustments.”

It would seem that vimovingcenter is being invaded.

i was really enjoying your stories.  i hope you continue. im saddened by the education system here just based on your observations and experiences. 

I’M BACK, but only for a little while. My fight with the Real Estate Commission is pretty much over. You can read about it on my blog.

Before I fade away, I have been wanting to tell one more story. And since no one told me how to embed an image, as an alternative I just copied and pasted the URL of the image I wanted to show. For no particular reason, I did it in my other post “The Real Estate Commission is a Stain on the Virgin Islands”. It’s dated September 3, 2025 (click on it). Way back when, before I started posting to vimovingcenter. I planned to use Facebook, unfortunately, I’m Facebook illiterate. I was able to create a post, but then not much more. At least, I was able to post the picture I wanted you to see. This is my STEM class. I’m the guy on the left. Juanita Boneque is on the far right and Rosa White is in back on the right.

This is Ms. Boneque’s description of the program from the final write-up of my second and last class. After this, the whole program was cancelled due to budget shortfalls.

CROIX SATURDAY RESEARCH ACADEMY

     The St. Croix Science Teachers’ Association through its support for Technology, Mathematics and Science programs has embarked on a PRE-COLLEGE PROJECT: Saturday Research Academies with the University of the Virgin Islands, Division of Science/ Mathematics and Computer Science, (The Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence). This is an Alliance of Institutions and community –based organizations designed to impact and support minority students in science, mathematics and computer science. Due to the increased interests and the amount of students qualifying for this project, eighteen students from the St. Croix Central High School and the St. Croix Educational Complex High School formed eight  teams and are working on research topics of interest that will lead to inform, inspire and educate the general public. These areas of environmental concern and scientific research may offer viable recommendations and possible solutions.

Program Coordinator:  Juanita Boneque and three mentors: Rosa White, Kermit Lewis and David Mattera have dedicated their time and services to assist these talented youngsters and guide them through high levels of scientific research. The support  the mentors  assisted the pre- college  researchers in completing their work and at the same time, offer them an opportunity to become familiar with real scientific research, proposals  and data collection that have enabled them to conduct further quality level investigations.

In this second class of mine, for some inexplicable reason, even though there were two other mentors, I got almost all of the kids. Why? As I recall, way back in this post, I mentioned that talent in the USVI is hard to come by. Typically, when someone tries to think of a science project, they aim too high, maybe a title like, “Solving All the World’s Problems in One Easy Step”.

When I first got involved with the program, I looked at the projects that the kids were working on and noticed that they weren’t doing science, they were just writing reports. So, I tried to think of projects in which the kids could actually DO SOMETHING. And by that, I mean: build, assemble, measure, test, gather data, analyze, you know, SCIENCE!

These were my groups –

    Group mentored                                      Students

Fuel from Rum Waste                 Hazel Acosta, Shideya Parilla

Fertilizer from Rum Waste   Leah Achille, Acassia Ferguson, Natasha Sinanan

Beat the House                          Danielle Christian, Miguel Hennemann

Heads or Tails                           Karen Dascent, Wayne Gonzales

Traffic Jam                               Sojourna Ferguson, Shidoya Parilla

Reading App                                Bria James, Khadijah O'Neil

I came across a draft version of a report in an old email that Hazel and Shideya sent to me (Top one in list, Fuel from Rum Waste). Read it and decide what you think.

“Rum Waste: A New Form of Fuel Production”

Hazel Acosta           St. Croix Central High School

Shideya Parrilla      St. Croix Educational Complex

Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………….1
Introduction……………………...2                  
Materials and Methods……...3
Results………………………………..5
Discussion………………………….6
Conclusion…………………………7
Acknowledgements…………….8
References/Biology…………….9

Abstract

The purpose of this investigative study was two-fold, first to study the environmental impact that the large and ever-growing rum industries have on the environment of barrier islands. Secondly, to create a useful product from more than 20,000 barrels of rum produced each year, that contributes tons of Rum Waste which enters the natural environment; particularly the ocean. Using the method of fractional distillation, we will determine the by-products of the rum waste emitted. Our hypothesis states that, if the presence of ethanol is evident as a result of fractional distillation, then biodiesel can be produced. Rum waste can be used to make fertilizer, cattle feed and fuel. This research uses, the percentage of the ethanol found in rum waste and utilizes it in the production of biodiesel.

Introduction

Sustainability in a broad sense is perhaps the largest and most inclusive concept of environmental stewardship known to man. For our purposes, we have defined sustainability as the act of keeping everything that we need for survival and well-being safe and knowing that man depends, either directly, on our natural environment which creates and maintains the conditions under which nature can exist in production harmony. Throughout the world, there are several very famous rum industries that ship rum and spirits all over the world. Out of the 52 rum industries, only a few recycle their waste instead of disposing of it on different terrains. There are three possible solutions to this problem which are using it as fertilizers, fuel, and cattle feed. Zero rum industries recycle their waste and utilize it to produce biodiesel. The purpose of this research, is using 1 percent of the ethanol found in rum waste and generate it in the production of biodiesel. If the presence of ethanol is evident as a result of fractional distillation then biodiesel can be produced. This would prevent our environment from being harmed and make a profit out of it.

Materials and Methods
Materials:

Distilling the rum waste                            

• Rum waste                                                           
• Distillation apparatus
• Funnel
• Vacuum

Making biodiesel

• Ethanol
• Vegetable oil
• Burner
• Water

Method:

Distilling the rum waste
1. Pour the rum waste in the round-bottom flask.

2. Turn on the burner and adjust it to its lowest temperature. (Do not put it at a high temperature right away or else you will lose small compounds that have a low boiling point).
3. Gradually increase the temperature of the burner until it begins to boil. (If it doesn’t boil at this time, add a vacuum to the distillation apparatus and turn it up to 60cmHg.
4. When it starts to boil, that’s when the rum waste is being distilled. (The compound that’s vaporizing is the ethanol).

Making Biodiesel
1. Find out the amount of oil needed for a certain amount of rum waste by dividing the amount of ethanol you have in liters by 0.2738 (ethanol in liters ÷ 0.2738 = Amount of oil in liters.

2. Heat oil up to 55 degrees Celsius or 131 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. The ethanol that was distilled is then poured into the oil and stirred rapidly. The reaction mixture usually changes to a turbid yellow-brown color within the first few minutes; then it changes to a clear transparent yellow color.
4. Shake thoroughly for 5 minutes
5. Let it sit for 30 minutes so that the biodiesel and glycerol separate into layers. The biodiesel will be on the top layer and the glycerol will be at the bottom layer with the darker color. Make sure that it separates into layers before moving on to the next step.
6. Pour about ¼ of water in the container with the biodiesel and glycerol.
7. Drain out the glycerol with a filter.

RESULTS

Through the distillation of the rum waste, ethanol will be extracted. The ethanol should evaporate from the rum waste after the waste reaches its boiling point. This ethanol should be able to make biodiesel even though methanol is the main material used in the production of biodiesel. Mixing the oil and ethanol would cause the glycerol that was in the triglyceride to separate from the fatty acid molecule. The ethanol will then attach to the fatty acid which will produce biodiesel.

The rum waste’s components are harmful for the environment. The components that are in the rum waste should contain chemicals that cause the fish on the south shore, where the liquid waste is released, to die. Certain sea creatures from the area are inedible like the lobsters and conch. The fishermen don’t fish from this area due to the inedibility and scarcity of fish. We hope to find that the rum waste contains enough ethanol, so that the waste no longer poses as a problem for our environment.

Discussion

The ethanol that the waste should contain, will be used to make biodiesel which can then be used in farm machinery. The biodiesel would be able to power small engines such as lawn mowers, and tractors. We would like to be able to propose a plan to the Environmental Protection Agency from the Virgin Islands and also for the National Environmental Protection Agency. The plan would propose that the agencies monitor the amount of waste that is being disposed of into the ocean because of the effect it has on the marine life. We would like to use the ethanol that the rum waste contains to help the economy of our island. The biodiesel could be sold as a low quality fuel which should provide revenue for the Government.

Conclusion
Unlike gasoline, biodiesel is beneficial for the environment because it has less hydrocarbons as well as a 71 percent decrease in benzopyrenes than regular fuel. Biodiesel is cost savvy as well, it is cheaper to make. Using biodiesel cost less than importing oil from other countries. Biodiesel poses as a solution for numerous problems. The supply of crude oil is decreasing rapidly and nations are scrambling to find solutions that would help preserve this natural resource and benefit the environment as well. The preservation of marine life and the ozone layer are also of utmost importance. Biodiesel is better for the atmosphere because it reduces the emissions of carbon monoxide by over 50 percent. The emissions of the rum waste into the ocean causes a major problem for the marine wildlife.

This project’s goal is to help the marine wildlife, help the rum companies and benefit the government.  We hope that the results that we receive will be considered by Rum companies around the world.

Acknowledgements
Juanita Boneque (Math Coordinator)

Rosa White (Science Coordinator)

Bernard Castillo II, Ph.D. (Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences College of Science and Mathematics)

Mr. Andre Francis (Physical Science Teacher)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Addison, Keith Addison. Ethanol Biodiesel. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. < http://journeytoforever.org/ethanol_link.html#ethylester>.

Murphy, Tommy. Simple Distillation. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. < http://www.wfu.edu/chem/courses/organic/distill/distillation.htm>.

Paulson, Win. The Advantages of Using Biodiesel Fuel. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2006. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. < http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Advantages-of-Using-Biodiesel-Fuel&id=285336>.

Is Biodiesel Good for the Environment. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. < http://www.renewable-green-energy.co.uk/article/5947/is_biodiesel_good_for_the_environment_>.

Definition of Triglycerides. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. < http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8880>.

Evans, Sean. How The Serralles Rum Distillery Boosted Profits By Cleaning Up Its Act. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. < http://www.fastcompany.com/1835679/how-serralles-rum-distillery-boosted-profits-cleaning-its-act>.

Rum, Caliche. “*HISTORY * DESTILERÍA SERRALLÉ * PROCESS *SUSTAINABILITY * FOUNDERS History.” Caliche Puerto Rico Rum (n.d): n. pag. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. http://www.calicherum.com/pages/about.

Murphy, P. “Rum Runoff.” (2012): n. pag. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.                    9          <htt://food52.com/blog/3618_rum_runoff>.

Rameshwar, Gobind. “Importance of the Choice of Rum Refinery Effluent Disposal Techniques in Fisheries Management, Coastal Zones Management and Diodiversity Conversation.” N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Bridgetown, Barbados: n.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <procs.gcif.org/pdf/gcfi_49-11.pdf>.

“Cruzan Rum Wastewater Treatment Plant, St. Croix.” (2012): n. pag. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. www.water-technology.net/projects/cruzanwastewatertrea/>.

Stanton, T. L. “Lamb Feedlot Nutrition. “ (2012): n. pag. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01613.html>.
Stanton, T. L. “Feed Composition for Cattle and Sheep. “ (2012): n. pag. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01615.html .

The STEM class didn’t have a lot to work with. We had some space at the Curriculum Center on Centerline Road with a few available computers and that was about it. All other equipment and supplies, the kids had to provide for themselves.

It’s quite apparent that Hazel and Shideya understood their topic. However, it’s disappointing that they picked a topic that was going to require more equipment than they would likely be able to acquire or borrow. I remember that one of their dads worked at one of the distilleries and could get some of the rum waste that as I recall was dumped in the ocean, south of the island. To me, it was very encouraging that they felt strongly about a problem and wanted to do something.

I did two of these sixteen-week STEM classes. For the first one, I needed to observe what worked and what didn’t work. I then used that knowledge in the second one to try to get the kids to focus on doable projects. I wasn’t completely successful with Hazel and Shideya. Likewise, with Bria and Khadijah, I failed. They insisted that they were going to write an app. Wishful thinking, they ended up describing what their app was supposed to do but they never wrote it.

All the other kids actually did some science. I steered them toward projects where data could be gathered with basic tools like a ruler, a stopwatch, or simple observation. Even though Leah’s, Acassia’s, and Natasha’s project sounds quite lofty, it was very doable. They just grew some plants in dirt that had varying amounts of rum waste and measured the plants’ growth with a ruler. Therefore, they got data from which they were able to draw conclusions. Science marches on.

We all met on Saturday mornings for sixteen weeks. Then the following weekend, we flew to San Juan for a Saturday Symposium where the kids presented their projects. There were hundreds of kids at the symposium, mostly from Puerto Rico. Projects were set up in several large conference rooms at the hotel. The presentations were done to groups of judges according to a prearranged schedule. There were several groups of judges so that several presentations could be done concurrently. All presentations were done in the morning, then the entire mass of kids, mentors, and judges had lunch in a huge function room. After lunch, students could walk around and see what other groups from other schools had done. Later, there was an award ceremony. Lots of awards were given out. Our groups did ok, not great but ok.

I don’t recall how many times that the Saturday STEM program had been run on STX before I showed up. I think it only happened once and I think that effort was more of a test run. Because for my first class there was a lot of confusion and the trip to San Juan was a disaster. Ms. Boneque was the program coordinator and technically, my boss. She didn’t do mentoring, just coordinating. But then again, other than me, no one actually did any real mentoring. So, Ms. Boneque needed to coordinate the trip. It was her job to book the flights and ground transportation so that everything ran smoothly. Unfortunately, we arrived at the convention center late. Several of our groups had already missed their scheduled presentation. Not good. We tried to get those groups rescheduled and failed.

Our whole group had all flown over on a single scheduled flight. Unfortunately, Ms. Boneque wasn’t able to book us all onto one return flight and there weren’t seats available on any other scheduled flight. She was five seats short. So, she chartered a six-seater. Not a problem. On this flight was the pilot, four students, and me. The five of us had to leave the main group at the airport terminal and were sent to “who in the heck knows where”, somewhere in the underbelly of the airport. Airports are all bright and pretty in places where you board your normal flights. However, it’s a totally different story when you’re wandering around under all those normal places. We were eventually able to find where we needed to go. So, still not a problem because I was comfortable knowing that the pilot wasn’t going to leave without us. Since getting us was the reason he had flown over from St. Croix.

But then things went downhill rapidly. I’m not sure if there was some sort of pissing contest going on between our STX pilot and the Puerto Rican agent who works in the underbelly of the airport. But this pompous, arrogant agent decides when our pilot shows him his pilot’s license just as we’re ready to leave, that he’s not sure if the picture on the license matches the pilots face. I’m not making this up. Our pilot just flew in to San Juan Airport from St. Croix. He never left the restricted area. He’s only there to pick up a bunch of tired kids and one exhausted adult and fly them back to St. Croix; a less likely bunch of terrorists you’re not going to see.

So, we just stood there and stood there and stood there. The kids found places to sit. The pilot tried rubbing a little spit on his license picture. The agent said he still wasn’t sure if the picture matched the pilot. The pilot promised to get a redone license when he returned to St. Croix. That didn’t work. The pilot asked if the agent’s supervisor could settle this. The agent called his supervisor who eventually showed up, listened to the situation but then refused to override the agent’s decision. Elapsed time at this point – TWO HOURS.

Our pilot asked the supervisor if we could get his supervisor. The supervisor explains, as we’re all slowly turning to mush, that his supervisor is the Secretary of Transportation of Puerto Rico or some other equally ostentatious title. We were definitely mush after having been going nonstop since very early that morning when we woke up to get ready for our flight to San Juan. Perhaps because of our pathetic appearance, the supervisor made a call. He said that this supposed head honcho would arrive in two hours. So, we continued to wait.

I had already called my wife to fill her in on the developing disaster and I’m keeping in touch with Ms. Boneque. The main group has already landed back on St. Croix. She got in touch with the parents of the kids that I’ve got and fills them in on what’s going on.

I’ve lost track of time. I seem to recall that this high muckety-muck shows up in maybe a couple of hours, but it’s a blur. However, I do remember him being handed the pilot’s license. HE DIDN’T EVEN LOOK AT IT. He just handed it back and said, “They can go.”

Students for the STEM program were chosen from the 11^th and 12^th grade. They were chosen for the full year. Therefore, since my first class was in the fall and my second class was in the spring, we had pretty much the same group of kids. For the second San Juan go-round, with the memory of their disastrous previous trip in their minds, they all begged to spend a night or two in San Juan. They were right. The one-day thing didn’t work. Plus, they had another idea in mind; The Plaza Las Americas, the largest mall in the Caribbean.

I don’t know how the money for our program worked. That was Ms. Boneque’s job. I got a stipend that if you did the math probably worked out to minimum wage. But I didn’t care; I wasn’t in it for the money. A couple of nights in a hotel wasn’t in our budget but Ms. Boneque somehow managed to get some generous sole to donate some money; I think it was a couple of thousand dollars. Our group was mostly girls, so proper chaperoning was a must. My wife got volunteered.

It’s been a dozen years since my wife and I took this trip, so my memory is fuzzy. But chatting about it with her while I’m writing this has firmed up several memories. Ms. Boneque and Mrs. White made the decisions about what to do and where to go. I remember suggesting to Ms. Boneque weeks before we left when we were formulating plans that we should stay at a cheaper hotel near the convention hotel rather than at the more expensive convention hotel in case of unexpected expenses. I was outvoted.

Money turned out to be a huge problem for both Ms. Boneque and the kids. Even though we packed the kids into as few rooms as possible by using cots and couches, Ms. Boneque ended up using almost all our money to pay for the hotel. I ended up forking over for several of the taxi vans. And you would have thought that someone would have realized that KIDS NEED TO EAT. Ms. Boneque didn’t plan for this. She probably assumed that the kids would buy their own food. Most of these kids did not come from well off families. The hotel had a free continental breakfast so at least they got one good meal plus whatever they stuffed in their pockets. And several of them had packed food and snacks in their luggage. However, they did all have some money but that was being saved for the mall; food was secondary.

Activities went badly. Ms. Boneque said that the kids couldn’t go in the pool because it was against school rules. The kids were crushed. We took a couple of taxi vans to Old San Juan. However, we didn’t go into any of the attractions because the kids didn’t want to spend their money for admission. So, we just walked around and checked out some of the gift shops. Ugh. At the kids’ insistence, we did eventually make it to the mall. My only memory of this could best be summed up by the old saying, “Herding kittens.”

I sort of got roped into mentoring the STEM classes. Back when I was teaching at Manor School, we needed Chemistry books. Our school couldn’t afford them but fortunately the public school system gave away all their old, unwanted textbooks. I was sent to Central High School to beg. I spoke with the Science Department Chairman. He told me that they were looking for a STEM mentor for the Saturday program. He also told me that he had a stack of barely used chemistry books. You can guess the rest. I didn’t know it at the time but this was about to become the most rewarding experience that I had on the island.

The reason that this was such a rewarding experience was that these kids gave me more hope for the future of the USVI than anything else I had ever done or seen on the island. In all my other posts above, I lament on the sad state of affairs in education. THESE KIDS WERE AMAZING! They were smart, polite, energetic, and eager to learn. I looked forward to the time I spent with them.

On my second trip to San Juan which my wife joined as a chaperone, the Sunday that was our last day there was Mother’s Day. Two of the girls, who were sisters, insisted on taking my wife out for Mother’s Day breakfast. My wife was thrilled. She even got a rose. All of these kids had empathy for other people; an emotion that is sadly lacking in the USVI and the world. If the USVI is ever going to be fixed, it will happen when kids like these are in charge. And that gives me hope.

I was looking forward to my third class. I had been thinking of possible topics that I would be able to suggest to the new group of kids. I wanted them all to be able to do some real science. Unfortunately, the funding got cut and no more classes were held. Hopefully, that money was used for something more important than being spent on a dedicated bunch of highschoolers learning to practice real science.

My battle with the Real Estate Commission seems to have suffered from the same fate as this website. The cause of that suffering can be described with one word. The thesaurus lists the synonyms for that word as: indifference, lethargy, laziness, boredom, ennui, droopiness, unconcern, dispiritedness, lack of concern, and lack of interest. Guess the word.

I had been thinking about lots of other stories to tell. I always used to think about ways to solve the islands’ educational problems and economic problems. I wrote in my blog –

“After Ernice Gilbert went MIA by never answering an email or recent voice mail, I reached out to Glen Dratte, a member of the VI Consortium and newly appointed spokesman for the Governor and other agencies. Unlike Mr. Gilbert, we had long phone calls in which we discussed trying to solve all the problems of the Virgin Islands. Glen even suggested that I should speak with the Governor and said that he could arrange that. Unfortunately, like Mr. Gilbert, he also went MIA.”

The Islands’ problems are not insurmountable, if the Government cared. Unfortunately, the Government suffers from the same sentiment as this website and now, also me. That sentiment is apathy.