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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesBLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL SENT TO SENATE

BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL SENT TO SENATE

A $2.19 million community block grant proposal, which funds community organizations, programs for the disabled and youth services, has been submitted to the Legislature by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
The Legislature has little time to consider Turnbull's proposal. The deadline for submitting the application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is June 19, Turnbull said in his transmittal letter to Senate President Vargrave Richards.
The territory has received a one-month extension from HUD, Turnbull's statement said. The Legislature must approve the bill at least five days before the deadline to allow time to submit the application, Turnbull wrote. This gives the Senate about a week to deliberate Turnbull's proposals and pass block-grant legislation.
The block grants will fund about 50 projects and programs on all three islands. In the past, Senate deliberation over the grants has been ravaged by inter-island squabbling over which district is getting more money.
The split in Turnbull's proposal is about $837,600, for St. Thomas, $877,610 for St. Croix and $40,000 for St. John.
Among the St. Thomas public services projects up for funding: $20,000 for an after-school program for the disabled at the V.I. Resource Center for the Disabled; $8,000 for the Caribbean Sailing School's sailing training for low- to moderate-income youths; $10,000 to fund crisis intervention and other counseling programs at Kidscope, and $15,000, $28,160 and $34,390 to We From Upstreet, Down Street People and Anglican Outreach Services, respectively, for after-school programs for underprivileged youths.
Other similar projects: $19,000 to lease offices for the Family Resource Center's counseling program and domestic violence victims' emergency shelter and $10,000 to the Faith Christian Fellowship's academic skills and summer enrichment program.
Also proposed: $30,000 to renovate a pier for the Caribbean Sailing School, $35,000 to rehabilitate homes in the National Register District, $200,000 to continue construction on the Savan Community Center, $218,050 for a Pollyberg community center, $110,00 to rehabilitate a Red Cross center, and $100,000 to repair the Day Adult Education building.
Public service projects on St. Croix include $25,000 to the V.I. Resource Center for the Disabled's after-school program at Ricardo Richards Elementary, $22,710 and $25,000 to house recovering male substance abusers in Estate Diamond Ruby and Herman Hill House, $50,000 for Camp Arawak's job-training program, and $21,840 to Little Buddies Development Center's summer camp.
Other projects: $25,000 to upgrade the Horace Clark ballpark, $20,000 to upgrade the D.C. Canegata ballpark, $10,000 each to upgrade the Estate Princess, Estate Glynn and Renholt Jackson ballparks, $133,160 to repair and renovate the Estate Whim Great House, $30,000 to install sewer lines at the Police Pavilion, $50,000 to construct a police community service building, $8,000 to renovate the Estate Whim recreation area, $2,655 to build an outdoor shower facility for the homeless, $25,000 to install historic marker signs, $60,000 to restore a baseball field in Estate Castle Coakley, and $120,000 to rehabilitate #22-23 Market St., and $125,135 in grants and low-interest loans to rehabilitate home in Frederiksted.
Three projects for the Women's Coaltion of St. Croix include $2,100 to renovate a thrift shop, $80,000 to buy and repair #7 East St., and $22,000 to expand #39 Queen St. to provide an office and a private counseling room for abuse victims.
The two St. John projects proposed for funding are $25,000 for the St. John Community Foundation's after-school training and counseling programs and $15,000 for the V.I. Resource Center for the Disabled's after-school program.

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