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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesWICO CLARIFIES TURNBULL RESIDENCE ISSUE

WICO CLARIFIES TURNBULL RESIDENCE ISSUE

This is the full statement released Thursday by the West Indian Co. Ltd. on the rental of a home for Gov. Charles W. Turnbull:
What began as a normal decision of the West Indian Company Limited has been blown out of
proportion as a result of incomplete and inaccurate reporting. To be able to put it in its proper perspective, it is necessary to provide some
background.
When the Government purchased the stock of the West Indian Company Limited, a private corporation, among the assets it received, and assigned to WICO, which then became a public corporation, was the property known as Denmark Hill. At the request of the sitting governor, Honorable Alexander Farrelly, certain repairs were undertaken following which the Governor spent some weekends there.
After Honorable Roy L. Schneider became governor he moved into Denmark Hill after additional repairs were made and was there during Hurricane Marilyn until he moved into his personal residence, which had been destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn, after the repair work was completed.
During Governor Schneider's incumbency he requested more repairs and the decision was made by WICO to get expert advice on the work required to put the house in good living condition.
WICO retained the services of a highly qualified conservation consultant, Martin Weaver Conservation Consultant Inc. of Ontario, Canada, who, after inspection of the property, was concerned about conditions he saw there. He brought in a toxicologist to look at areas of concern. The toxicologist took many samples and sent them to stateside laboratories for analyses.
WICO received an urgent communication which read, in part, "The wall paper over the doorway in the central hallway of Denmark Hill, the Governor's residence, shows excessive amounts of the fungus
Asperigilus versicolor. THIS IS KNOWN TO BE A
SERIOUS HEALTH THREAT."
The communication stated further: "URGENT/EMERGENCY ACTIONS RECOMMENDED. We would seriously recommend that the Governor move out of Katherineberg (Dermark Hill) until the contaminated area can be treated with biocide. If for some reason he cannot be relocated then his health and that of his staff should be very closely monitored as we recommended in our preliminary report to you. We stress that it would be preferable that he moves out."
A copy of that Fax Message has been provided the Daily News which elected not to print it or quote pertinent portions of it.
Governor Turnbull, as were Governors Farrelly and Schneider, is a tenant of The West Indian Company Limited. We consider it our responsibility to relocate him, temporarily, in living quarters commensurate with the office he, or a similar individual, holds rather than subject him to living in an unhealthy environment. We have entered into a six-month lease at $7,000 a month for those quarters, which WICO will pay, and we expect Governor Turnbull to return to Denmark Hill by the expiration date of the lease.
We expect the consultants back on island next week to finalize their plans and the projected work should be completed within the six month period of the lease.
The board of directors of WICO at its meeting last month authorized expenditure of up to $350,000 to properly rehabilitate the property.
For further information call Calvin K. Wheatley at 774-1780.

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