May 19-25, 2008 © Copyright 2008 ST. JOHN 75¢ TRADEWINDS The Community Newspaper Since 1972 • St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Alibi for Only One of Accused in Cockayne Case Kamal Thomas and Anselmo Boston Still To Be Tried Together – Page 3 Sirenusa Work Picks Up Pace; Units Occupied Page 3 Cruz Bay Sixth In Worldwide Destinations Page 4 Caneel Bay’s Tennis Ranked Fifth in World By Travelers Page 9 Port Authority Weighs Options Photos by St. John resident Jack Brown To Complete Another Truck Accident Enighed Facility Page 7 This Lew Henley’s truck ran off the straightaway on Route 107 and nearly landed in Coral Harbor across from Sweet Plantains on Friday afternoon, May 16, around 1:30 p.m. The Ned Gerard truck struck a V.I. Water and Power Authority pole, temporarily cutting off power in Coral Bay. Takes Gold Residents notified St. John Tradewinds of the accident and emailed pictures to the newspaper less than an hour after the truck ran off the road. In Bardados Page 11 BULK SALES AVAILABLE For more information call MaLinda Media at 340-776-6496 2 St. John Tradewinds, May 19-25, 2008 Stamp of Approval PSC To Discuss Ferry Issues May 19 St. John Tradewinds The V.I. Public Services Commission will host a special meeting on Monday, May 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the Legislature Building. There will be an update on operational and financial matters and a discussion of the decrease in scheduled service. Half an hour will be allowed for public comment. CZM Hearing Scheduled for May 21 St. John Tradewinds The St. John CZM Committee will meet Wednesday, May 21, at 1 p.m. at the Legislature to consider the following: – Request for modification of CZM Permit No. CZJ-2-03(L), Genoveva Rodriguez and James Phillips to add a vendor’s booth (11 feet by 11 feet) to the existing retail building located at parcel no. 13, Estate Carolina, No. 1 Coral Bay Quarter, St. John, Virgin Islands. – Request for modification of CZM Permit No. CZJ-54-87(L), Caneel Bay Resort, to replace the existing RO building and entry building with new stone and wood frame within the same footprint, and expansion of an existing manager’s house to add a bedroom and a pool. V.I. National Park, U.S. Postal Service and V.I. Memorial Day Activities Set for May 26 officials applauded the St. John Tradewinds new U.S stamp featuring The American Legion Viggo E. Sewer Post 131 will host several Trunk Bay, above, and activities on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. Legionnaires will Gov. John P. deJongh form at the Calabash Boom Cemetery at 9:30 a.m., where they will enjoyed meeting Julius E. host a ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. Sprauve School students There will also be ceremonies at the Emmaus Moravian Church who attended the Friday, cemetery at 10:45 a.m., the Bethany Moravian Church cemetery at May 16 ceremony at 11:45 a.m. and the Cruz Bay cemetery at 12:30 p.m. Trunk Bay to unveil the Families with veterans laid to rest at these cemeteries are asked stamp. to contact Aubrey Sewer at 779-4158 or Jerry Runyon at 776-6445 no later than noon on Saturday, May 24. Flags will be placed and displayed during Memorial Day ceremonies at each veteran’s site. St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Tom Oat Constitutional Convention Hearings St. John Tradewinds Public School Registration for St. John Students Is May 30 Fifth Constitutional Convention committees will host several hearings on St. John in the coming weeks. St. John Tradewinds – Original birth certificate (U.S. – Social Security Card or num- The Committee on Education, Youth and Culture will meet on Acting Insular Superintendent citizens only) ber Tuesday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at the St. John Legislature. The St. for the St. Thomas-St. John Dis- – Passport (foreign or American) – Proof of physical address (ex- John Community Foundation has been invited as the commit- trict Jeanette Smith-Barry advises or Resident Card or Naturalization ample: official document such as tee’s special guest to attend the hearing, where the committee will parents wishing to enroll their Certificate a WAPA bill showing name and announce for the first time its proposed draft language concerning children in public school for the – Virgin Islands Immunization street address) education, youth and culture. 2008-2009 school year that public Record and clearance form from – Individualized Education Plan The Committee on Preamble, Anthems, Symbols, Bill of Rights school registration for children re- the Immunization Clinic located and evaluation data, if applicable and Human Rights, and the Committee on Health, Human Services, siding on the island of St. John is on St. Thomas at Schneider Re- – Notarized letter granting tem- Public Safety and Homeland Security will also share its draft lan- scheduled for Friday, May 30, at gional Medical Center or on St. porary guardianship. guage at the hearing. The public can familiarize themselves with the Julius E. Sprauve School from John at Morris de Castro Clinic. Parents are further reminded the language ahead of time at www.viconstitution.com. 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. A V.I. immunization card with that students entering kindergarten The Citizen Committee will meet on Thursday, May 22, at 6 Parents and guardians are re- the attached clearance form is a must be five years of age on or be- p.m.; the Executive Branch Committee will meet on Thursday, minded that the child or children mandatory requirement of the reg- fore December 31, 2008. May 29, at 6:30 p.m.; and there will be a plenary session on to be registered must be present istration process. No exceptions For more information contact Tuesday, June 3, at 6 p.m., all at the St. John Legislature. at registration and the following will be made. Student Affairs Coordinator Belin- The convention is scheduled to end its deliberations in July. documents are required for pro- – Report card or transcript from da West-O’Neal at 775-2250, ext. Because the constitutional language is still a draft, the public has cessing: previous school 8530. the opportunity to comment on it for possible revision. Anyone wishing to testify may sign up at the hearings. Graduation Ceremonies Scheduled St. John Tradewinds Julius E. Sprauve School students will be promoted in a cer- emony on Monday, June 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Westin Resort. Guy Benjamin Elementary students will be promoted in a Tuesday, June 10, ceremony at 9 a.m. at the Emmaus Moravian Church. Gifft Hill School students will graduate on Thursday, June 12, at 5 p.m. at Caneel Bay Resort’s Turtle Point. St. John Tradewinds, May 19-25, 2008 3 Criminal Defense Attorney Shakes Cockayne Case for Client Kamal Thomas By Tom Oat separate trials for his client and for St. John Tradewinds Boston. It only took veteran criminal de- The court system tries to keep “Kamal Thomas can only change his story fense attorney Michael A. Joseph trials in cases with multiple de- so many times and to so many people.” of St. Croix a few days to shake fendants consolidated to save time — Jeanie Cockayne, mother of victim the government’s case against his and money, making it difficult to client, Kamal Thomas, in the June argue that a case with multiple de- 2007 stabbing death of a young fendants be split into separate tri- asked authorities to seize for fo- attack occured. Pennsylvania man in Cruz Bay. als, Joseph explained. rensic tests. “Kamal Thomas can only Five days after being hired to “Severence is very hard,” Jo- “We figured out the car was at change his story so many times represent Thomas, one of the two seph said of any legal maneuver to the scene,” said Joseph of the in- and to so many people,” said Jean- men charged in the murder of Ja- separate his client’s case from that formation which produced the ie Cockayne. “He stated he was on mie Cockayne, 21, Joseph attacked of Boston. “Usually judges don’t affidavit. “We found the car and the beach in Cruz Bay when Jamie the government’s case with a May buy it.” Kamal Thomas traced it to Glanville and said that was murdered; he stated he and a 9 pretrial memorandum naming Sworn Affidavit car was at the scene.” few friends chased and attacked alibi witnesses for his client and a Implicates Third Man The sedan matched the descrip- “He doesn’t want to be an acces- Jamie to get satisfaction, and now sworn affidavit pointing at another Joseph provided some back- tion of a vehicle which drove away sory,” explained Joseph who added they say he was at Hawksnest suspect. ground to the new information he from the scene of the fatal attack, Frazer also wanted to protect his Beach during the murder. Which is “They have been trying to get submitted to the court in an inter- according to Thomas’s attorney. girlfriend from criminal prosecu- it Kamal?” me for a while,” the Crucian attor- view with St. John Tradewinds on “That car had something to do tion for helping someone leave the “Why would two continentals ney said of the family of Thomas, May 12. with it,” Joseph said. scene of the murder. be backing them,” Joseph asked in a native of Georgia. The attorney did not elaborate Cockayne’s family had com- “He’s of no relationship to my response to questions about Thom- Joseph, whose criminal defense on the “discovery issue” in his plained repeatedly that authorities client,” Joseph added.