A free opportunity to find answers to those difficult legal and medical questions – the ones regarding death and taxes – will be provided from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 at Sunny Isles Shopping Center at the first "Legacy for Life Health Fair."
The Fair, held by the Young Lawyers Division of the V.I. Bar Association, culminates National Health Care Decision Week. It is designed to raise public awareness about end-of-life health care and planning, said Sandra Adams, chair of the YLD.
"Only a small minority of people make plans, and, more importantly, let family members know their wishes," Adams said. She said end-of-life care is always difficult to discuss, but it is extremely important. "By letting family members know in advance what kind of care we want, we can avoid a lot of the stress and indecision we face when those close to us become critically ill," she said, stressing "Our goal is to get people thinking and talking about these issues and doing something about them."
St. Croix attorneys Jean-Robert Alfred and Linda Baxter will offer practical information and advice about wills, powers of attorney, trusts and probate from noon to 2 p.m., followed by a question and answer period.
Webster, a Central High School graduate has been in private practice on St. Croix since 1987. She said her goal is to "help people stay in control of their choices in health care and property, even when they become too sick to speak for themselves."
Along with the legal aspects of the Fair, there will be free blood pressure testing, eye screening, exercise classes and massages. The massages will be provided by Charlene Springer at De Nova Spa, as well as fat volume tests. Optometrist Lisa Adams of Sterling Optical will do the eye screening.
Lillian Southerland, of the Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program, will provide information about organ donation.
For more information, contact Maxine Bowry, executive director of the V.I. Bar Association at (340) 778-7497.

Two grants, one to provide prosecutorial services to female victims of violent crimes, and another to hire additional prosecutorial staff, have been awarded to the Department of Justice Attorney General Iver Stridiron announced Tuesday.
The first grant, for $128,250, is effective from Oct. 1, 2000 throughout September 20, 2001, and can be reapplied for in subsequent years.
The second grant, for $125,000, is to hire an attorney to handle cases involving violent juvenile offenders who may be transferred from the Juvenile Court System and bound over to the adult division of the Territorial Court, in accordance with the law. A portion of the funds will be used to provide intense training for prosecutors and support staff.
Both grants are from the Law Enforcement Planning Commission. Stridiron thanked LEPC for both grants. He said the first one will aid in improving the Department of Justice's efforts to reduce violent crime against females. Also, he said, "I welcome the grant which will allow the Department to employ an additional attorney to handle juvenile offenders who are transferred to the adult court."

A free opportunity to find answers to those difficult questions – the ones about death and taxes – will be provided from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat. Oct. 28 at Tutu Park Mall at the first "Legacy for Life Health Fair."
The Fair is sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the V.I. Bar Association and Rotary of St. Thomas in celebration of National health Decision Week, a public service project initiated by the American Bar Association.
The Fair is designed to raise public awareness about end-of-life health care and planning, said Sandra Adams, chair of the YLD. "Only a small minority of people make plans, and, more importantly, let family members know of their wishes," Adams said. These topics are very difficult to discuss, she said, but they are extremely important. "By letting family members know in advance what kinds of care we want, we can avoid a lot of the stress and indecision we face when those close to us become critically ill," Adams said.
She stressed, "Our goal is to get people talking and thinking about these issues, and then do something about them."
Attorney Aquanette Chinnery will discuss the probate process, and Amos Carty, legal counsel for the Roy L. Schneider Hospital, will lead a panel discussion on legislation affecting health care decisions, including organ donation, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Doctors Alfred Heath and James Nelson will discuss the aging process and healthy lifestyles. Eva Sarraga from Lifelink of Puerto Rico will also discuss organ donation.
Exercise classes and free massages will be available, as well as information on Social Security and Medicare. Diabetes and dietary information will be offered by the V.I. Department of Health, and the UVI Nursing Department.
For more information, contact Gabriel Villegas, co-chair of the YLD, at (340) 774-1320, or Maxine Bowry, executive director of the V.I. Bar Association at (340) 778-7497.

The Baha'i Community of the Virgin Islands is has announced the following schedule of 30-minute informational videos on the "The Power of Race Unity" and "We Are One" which will be shown on BET on several Saturday mornings through December.
30 Minute Videos
Date Day Time Channel Program
Oct 7 Saturday 7:30 am BET Power of Race Unity
Oct 21 Saturday 7:30 am BET We Are One
Nov 4 Saturday 8:30 am BET Power of Race Unity
Nov 18 Saturday 8:30 am BET We are One
Dec 2 Saturday 8:30 am BET Power of Race Unity
Dec 16 Saturday 8:30 am BET We Are One
(Eastern Time)
Please note our new email address, NSA@vi.bahai.org,
and visit our new web site which is under construction at www.vi.bahai.org. Call the National Baha'i Center at 774-3648 for more information.

The V.I. Housing Board of Commissioners will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, in the Central Offices of the Authority in Aureo Diaz Heights.

The V.I. Housing Authority Board of Commissioners will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, in the Central Offices of the Authority in Aureo Diaz Heights.

Federal authorities have extradited a man believed to be responsible for the smuggling of a large number of Chinese nationals to the Virgin Islands in recent months. U.S. Marshals returned Hak-So Chan to the Virgin Islands from Hong Kong last week to face charges of alien smuggling and conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens to the U.S. mainland and the Virgin Islands.
According to Linda Vallerino at the U.S. Marshal's office, "Chan's extradition from Hong Kong is historic as it represents the first Chinese national to be extradited under a 1999 treaty between Hong Kong and the United States." Vallerino said federal marshals from St. Thomas traveled to Hong Kong to order the surrender of the alleged alien smuggling kingpin.
Vallerino also said Monday that Chan will face charges of falsifying documents and passports. She did not say where Chan is being held pending trial.
More that 430 Chinese nationals have illegally entered the territory so far this year, about 100 more than reported in all of 1999.
The apprehension of Hak-so Chan is reported to be part of an ongoing investigation. The U.S. Attorney's Office has not commented on the investigation or on the extradition of Chan from Hong Kong to the territory.

The 24-year-old suspect in the shooting death of Jason Carroll on Main Street earlier this year has been formally indicted by a federal grand jury for that crime. Hospital Ground resident Deshaune Harrigan will face trial on charges of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and possession of a firearm in a school zone.
U.S. Attorney James Hurd Jr. is not participating in the case against Harrigan, because the victim was the son of First Assistant U.S. Attorney James Carroll. A trial attorney from the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., will prosecute the case along with Guy H. Mitchell, Chief of the Criminal Division of the V.I. Justice Department.
Harrigan was to have been prosecuted in Territorial Court, but Attorney General Iver Stridiron said the overlap of the local and federal charges provided an opportunity to use the federal grand jury system. That a local and federal prosecutor will work together on the case is the result of cooperation begun sometime ago.
"Over the past several years prosecutors, both federal and local, have taken turns prosecuting cases in each other's area of jurisdiction. There are also cases where the federal grand jury has been empanelled to investigate a local case because of its potential for federal jurisdiction," Stiridiron said.
Taking preliminary evidence of a crime to a grand jury, Stridiron said, has advantages for both the prosecution and the defense. The advantage is that before trial prosecutors can bring evidence before the grand jury including witness testimony. "What we have found is that in the past, witnesses are reluctant to step forward with information," Stridiron said.
He explained that bringing a witness to the grand jury "provides us the opportunity to hear testimony and decided whether to go forward on a particular case or subject it to further investigation."
Stridirion said he wishes the territory had the grand jury system, since it would remove prosecutorial discretion from the Attorney General's Office. "It's a daunting task for the Attorney General to have the final say in prosecuting cases without having the benefit of having a grand jury that can hear preliminary information," Stridiron said. He noted that he has testified before the Legislature in support of a local grand jury system, and that several members are on record as supporting it.

Parents and students of the Joseph Sibilly Elementary School are invited to the annual Halloween Activity from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27, on the school campus.
Games and other activities will be featured and refreshments will be on sale.
Parents and students are encouraged to wear costumes.
There will be an entrance fee of $2 for adults and $1 for children.

Parents and students of the Joseph Sibilly Elementary School are invited to the annual Halloween Activity being held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27, on the school campus.
Games and other activities will be featured and refreshments will be on sale.
Parents and students are encouraged to wear costumes.
There will be an entrance fee of $2 for adults and $1 for children.