St. John Tradewinds News

6 St. John Tradewinds, March 31 - April 6, 2008
Kessler Testifies in Washington in Favor of Estate Maho Bay Acquisition Funds
St. John Tradewinds
Joe Kessler, President of the Friends of
Virgin Islands National Park, testified in
Washington, D.C., on March 13 in support
of public funding for the inclusion of the Estate
Maho Bay in the V.I. National Park.
The Friends of V.I. National Park support
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) effort to
acquire and transfer the 207-acre Estate
Maho Bay property for inclusion in the Virgin
Islands National Park, Kessler testified
before the House Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee.
An appropriation of $4.5 million from the
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
is requested in Fiscal Year 2009 to begin
Park Service acquisition of the property.
Although the public is invited to submit
written testimony is support of projects and
programs of interest, Kessler was asked by
the subcommittee to testify in person.
“We carry on the rich tradition of using
private philanthropy for the betterment of
this park as well as mobilize volunteers and
community participation,” said Kessler.
“In our 19 years of work in support of
Virgin Islands National Park we have been
involved in many initiatives, projects and
activities that help this park be a model of
natural resource protection and cultural
preservation — but none have been as important
as our work in support of the acquisition
of Estate Maho Bay and its incorporation
within the park,” Kessler testified.
Kessler’s testimony in support of federal
funding for Estate Maho Bay came at a critical
time, as the Appropriations Subcommittees
are preparing to write their Fiscal Year
All Proceeds Benefit
THE RUBY RUTNIK SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Virgin Island students through the sale of innings.
TO SPONSOR INNINGS
Contact: Connections Cruz Bay 776-6922/Coral Bay 779-4994
or Andy/Janet Rutnik 693-8069, andrewrutnik@islands.vi
Come out and celebrate — concession sales support Love City Pan Dragons
2009 appropriations legislation for the Interior
Department and other agencies
“The acquisition of the Estate Maho Bay
property would be the first link of two
separated blocks of land owned by the National
Park Service, ensuring future access,
resource connectivity, and seaside protection,”
added Kessler. “It is critical that federal
funding comes through this year so that
we can make that a reality.”
“Friends Have Been Champion”
“The Friends group has been a champion
in support of efforts to protect Estate Maho
Bay,” said John Garrison, field office director
of TPL’s Southwest Florida office. “We
are pleased that the subcommittee heard
from Joe just how truly spectacular this land
is and its importance for inclusion in the national
park.”
The Friends of V.I .National Park is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated
to the protection and preservation of the natural
and cultural resources of Virgin Islands
National Park and to promoting the responsible
enjoyment of this national treasure.
The group has more than 3,000 members
– 20 percent of whom live in the V.I. and the
balance represent every state in the union.
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national
nonprofit land conservation organization
that conserves land for people to enjoy
as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring
livable communities for generations to
come. Since its founding in 1972, TPL has
helped protect more than 2.2 million acres
of land in 45 states. For more information
please contact us at (850) 222-7911 or visit
us on the web at www.tpl.org/florida.
Ruby Rutnik Memorial Softball
Tournament Scheduled for April 4–6
St. John Tradewinds
Easter is early this year but the
Ruby Rutnik Memorial Softball
Tournament is right on time and
coming up soon.
This year’s tournament will be at
Winston Wells Ball Field in Cruz
Bay from Friday, April 4, through
Sunday, April 6. Teams — from
St. Croix, St. Thomas and Tortola
— will compete to win a $2,500
scholarship for a college-bound
senior from the winning school.
Since the tournament began in
1997, $74,000 in scholarship money
has been awarded to promising
scholars. Initially, one scholarship
was offered, a two-year award to a
girl from St. John who planned to
attend a college in the States.
The tournament has been so successful
that four scholarships of
$2,500 are now awarded annually.
One goes to a new winner, and last
year’s winner is also funded if she
is in good standing academically.
In 2003, a one-year award was
added for the team which won the
tournament. In 2004, a scholarship
to attend the University of the Virgin
Islands was offered and awarded
three times. This year the fourth
award will go instead to a student
(boy or girl) from Ruby’s Alma
Mater, the Gifft Hill School (also
known as Pine Peace School).
The scholarship winners from
2007 are Tamisha Thomas, a
graduate of Ivanna Eudora Kean
High School who is now enrolled
in Monroe College in New
York along with the 2006 winner,
Raquida Edwards, a graduate of
Ivanna Eudora Kean High School
also enrolled in Monroe College in
New York. Adrianne Crooke was
the 2007 UVI scholarship winner.
Local sports fans know the girls’
team from Tortola won the Ruby
Rutnik Tournament in 2006. Terrance
Chinnery is bringing this
team from Elmore Stout back to
try another win. Last year’s championship
winners were the Lady
Caribs of Central High in St. Croix
who will do their utmost to defend
their championship.
The community is asked to support
the tournament by sponsoring
an inning at $100, a game at $700
or a scholarship of $2500. Innings
can be purchased at both Connections
locations. Checks made out
to the RRSF, Inc. can be sent to
P.O. Box 348, St. John, VI 00831.
Everyone is invited to come out
to cheer on the teams on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday from April 4
to 6. The games start on Friday at 2
p.m. and go into the evening.
There will be games from 9 a.m.
on Saturday into the evening and
a championship game at 1 p.m. on
Sunday, April 6. Food purchased
at the concession stand will help
fund the Love City Pan Dragons,
St. John’s student steel band. T-
shirts will also be on sale.
Scholarship applications for St.
John students will be available at
Connections or by calling Janet
Rutnik at 693-8069. The deadline
for applications is May 15, 2008.
The tournament was established
in 1997 to honor the memory of
Ruby Rutnik, who died tragically
in a car crash when she was a senior
at American University. Because
Ruby was a champion windmill
pitcher while at Antilles School, a
softball tournament seemed a perfect
way to fund a scholarship for
young women of promise.
For more info, call 693-8069.
Rutnik-Ruby Tourney 08 Ad.indd 1
3/28/08 5:33:26 PM