By Cheryl Wade, MD, PC 

What we feel emotionally determines our physical state. We cannot deny that when we are depressed we feel lethargic and lack energy or motivation, and easily succumb to accidents and the flu. 

We know people who suffer through a divorce, death in the family, or betrayal and then experience a heart attack, or serious disabling disease. The facts are that emotions trigger hormonal and bio chemical changes within the body.   

Emotions like love and gratitude make us feel good and promote physical health while emotions such as bitterness, anger and rage make our bodies feel bad and can kill us or cause serious disease over the long term. 

The brain communicates emotions to every cell in the body, and likewise the body communicates to the brain. This two way conversation is mediated by specific proteins called neuro-peptides .    Read more »

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If there’s a more direct way to ask the question, we don’t know what it is.

In a radio address today, Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg challenged Gov. John P. deJongh, Jr., to answer the question with a truthful answer

Donastorg posed the question in a statement that included his first public comments on the domestic violence charges he is facing; charges he was quite clear he believes are a “political prosecution”  demonstrating an “horrific abuse of power” and created by the deJongh administration to  damage his credibility as a candidate in the upcoming election.

Donastorg said he learned of the charges shortly after notifying federal officials of deJongh’s misuse of $490,000 in public funds to enhance his private residence at Estate Mafolie on St. Thomas. He said that he was informed that a police report on the alleged incident had been filed on St. Croix, and that he went voluntarily to see what the report was about and why the complaint was filed on St. Croix. Read more »

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Do Virgin Islands voters have the right to use an official paper ballot in the upcoming primary and general elections?

That is the question at the heart of an action filed in local and federal court by former Sen. Adelbert Bryan against John Abramson, Jr, in his role as Supervisor of Elections; the Joint Board of Elections (JBOE); and the Government of the Virgin Islands.

The basis of the action is a decision made in a July 30 JBOE meeting that voters who choose not to use the electronic voting machines must use a “provisional ballot” instead of a traditional secret paper ballot to cast their vote.  The decision was made public in a release issued by the Board on August 4. The controversy lies in two areas: definition and process.

A growing number of local voters who distrust electronic voting machines have mounted a campaign to allow eligible voters to use a paper ballot that they would fill out at the polling place, place in a sealed envelope and deposit in a ballot box to register their vote. Read more »

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Commentary By CIF President Michael J. Springer, Jr.

Outraged? Yes. Disgusted? Oh, yes.

Surprised? No.

And no one else should be either.

The latest ammunition in the arsenal of campaign misconduct fired by the deJongh Administration has been the creation of several websites designed to malign those who pose a threat to them and the good life they’re living on the backs of everyday Virgin Islanders.

Until last week, their targets have been adults – people who have put themselves in the public arena through their activism and who are openly in opposition to this dogmatic regime – and since propaganda only grows legs when people acknowledge it, we’ve pretty much ignored it.

But last week, when the 16-year-old son of a radio talk show host became the front page news on one of these sites, our disgust, and the shock and horror of the community, made a response necessary. Read more »

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Vince Danet’s campaign for Delegate to Congress got a huge visibility boost on Saturday when Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele came to St. Croix to endorse him.

In an appearance to a group of the party faithful at Gertrude’s restaurant, Steele praised Danet in his quest for the Delegate’s seat saying, “I like your style, I like your message,” and added, “Don’t apologize for not being a politician – it’s a blessing.”

Danet will face Democratic incumbent Donna Christensen and No Party challenger Atty. Jeffrey B.C. Moorhead in the delegate race in November.

Steele characterized the reemergence of the Republican party as a “Renaissance” and assured those in attendance that the Virgin Islands plays an equal role to party members on the mainland in “helping us grow the party, win elections but most importantly, to affirm the values of the Party.”

“Don’t let anyone tell you that we can’t have a presence or we can’t win,” he said. “We can have a presence – we can win in the Virgin Islands.” Read more »

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“We can provide a better life than this for our people,” said gubernatorial candidate Kenneth Mapp at his formal kickoff this morning on St. Thomas. “Hope is dying – but hope is not dead.”

In front of an extremely enthusiastic crowd, and following an impassioned introduction by Juel Malloy, Mapp and his running mate, Dr. Malik Sekou, threw their political stake in the ground and burst through the campaign starting gate.

From the beginning of the well-crafted address, Mapp was clear that his priorities will focus on crime, education and a return to the quality of life once enjoyed in the Virgin Islands.  And he spared no words in placing the responsibility for the current conditions squarely at the feet of the Gov. John deJongh administration.

And while the criminal epidemic was clearly top of mind, Mapp emphasized that it was not the only issue to be addressed.

“Crime is number one but not the only issue,” he said “Where are all the guns coming from and why is our government so helpless to get them off the street?” Read more »

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Guest Commentary by Ivan Butcher II 
I am sure many other teachers, caregivers and providers of our youth here in the territory cringed after reading this article, like I did.  

Senators Look to Cure for “Spiritual Cancer”

BY LISA SNOWDEN-MCCRAY — AUGUST 16, 2010 

“Senators met Monday evening to consider the possibility of bringing an after-school program and vocational school to the territory in the hopes of empowering the most at-risk members of the territory’s population.

Bill Strickland, winner of a MacArthur Genius Award and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and Bidwell Training Center in Pittsburgh, Penn., appeared before the committee of the whole to discuss his nationally recognized plan to empower low-income families by teaching them arts and technology. 

He said the territory would need put up $150,000 to fund a six-to-eight-month feasibility study, during which Strickland and his team would talk to local leaders and investigate what kind of school would best suit the needs of the territory. He would help in the selection of a board of directors for the program, and help find someone to run the program. He said in all, he and his team would be committed to working here for five years…”

Many feel that many of those in authority are just Paper Pushers. Millions of dollars have been spent already.

What has happened  to all of the information that has been submitted over the decades, by those who have attended on and off island enrichment seminars to provide Feasible approaches to improve our educational and social programs here in the Virgin Islands? 

The monies that would be spent to do a Feasibility study would be better spent on those proven after-school and enrichment programs that are already here in our community. With a Feasible amount of money these programs would not only be able to sustain themselves but they would also be able to expand their offerings to more of the children.

My recommendation / suggestion to those government officials responsible in this area, is to meet with all those enrichment providers, established and aspiring, register all of the Feasible programs available and then do just like what is done with class scheduling of students at the beginning of  each school year, but for after-school activities. Read more »

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Guest columm by Dr. ChenziRa D. Kahina  
This week’s edition of “To Your Health” provided a holistic combination of healthy notes and practical information on obesity, natural nutrition, holistic living and creating balance of mind, body & spirit. Each human being has the responsibility and divine right to engage in meaningful thoughts and actions that promote and maintain healthy living and well-balanced actions that impact on our minds, bodies, souls, spirits, consciousness, community and environment.

Several basic steps to minimizing disease and health imbalances like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, cancer and other related issues with our wellness include: 

a) Recognizing the increase of obese persons in the US mainland, US territories and throughout the Caribbean in direct correlation to the increase of fast/junk foods being eaten by the general populace in these respective areas; Read more »

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“We’re going to make a fight out of this.”

With these words, gubernatorial candidate James “Jimmy” O’Bryan Jr., and his running mate, former Commissioner of Tourism Pamela Richards-Samuel, kicked off their campaign in an hour-long radio presentation on WDHP 1620AM.

The O’Bryan/Richards-Samuel team is one of four seeking the Democratic nomination for the top two spots in Virgin Islands government. The will face challenger teams incumbents John deJongh/Gregory Francis; Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg/Sam Baptiste; and Gerard “Luz” James/Glen Smith in the September 11 primary,

It was O’Bryan’s first media appearance since his well-publicized departure from his morning radio slot on 1620.  The presentation was very similar to the talk-show interview format he is most recently known for – and Richards-Samuel participated in the presentation by telephone from St. Croix. Read more »

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