I am a graduate of the Good Hope School, Frederiksted, St.Croix. I was Ms. Talented Teen 1995-96' and Miss St. Croix 1996-1997.
I am currently a phlebotomist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. My purpose for writing is first, to inform people of how important I believe www.stcroixsource.com is to individuals that may be away from home. Home meaning the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean. It has not only given me an opportunity to keep in touch with family, but has also allowed me to stay current with local news.
Even though, I love St. Croix because that is my true home, we can agree
that things are not the same.
This past summer I went to visit my family on St. Croix. Despite the fact that I had not been there in a year, things seemed different. When I lived on St. Croix I could not see what was really going on because I was in the middle of it all. But now that I have lived in Iowa for several years, I realize how drained the economy truly is.
Looking from an outsider's perspective, I was appalled, by many of the things I saw. First, the grass on the side of the streets has grown past eye level. There is trash on the side of the roads and in the bushes. There are run-down buildings that should be demolished for safety in both Frederiksted and Christiansted. Stores are closing down, people are losing jobs and the list goes on.
What is going to become of the place I call home?
I am angered by the fact that people take so many things for granted. St.Croix can truly be a wonderful place, and even crime free. But there is not a stable economy,
which is really one of its setbacks.
It is 37 degrees in Iowa as I write. I wish I was home. I look at the pictures I took by the ocean, the pier and even Buddhoe Park this summer and I hope that people will see the true beauty in the place I call home before it's too late.
I can certainly agree that Iowa does not have blue water, or friendlier people than my Crucian people. I realize how comforting it was to live in a tight-knit community, where people see you on the street and say good morning. Not like the crazy life I live, driving a half hour to get to another city to go to work, or feeling my heart pound when merging into traffic on the freeway.
I pray that sometime soon those people that work hard to support their families and
fear they might lose their jobs and those people who have been affected by the negligence of the governing body will find hope and trust that there is a solution to every problem. I hope that day comes soon.
Sincerely,
Nicole E. Quinn
Concerned In Iowa
