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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesCHAMBER TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MONGOOSE JUNCTION

CHAMBER TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MONGOOSE JUNCTION

The St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce has chosen Mongoose Junction as the recipient of its second annual Corporate Citizen Award.
According to chamber executive director Joe Aubain, the 20-year old shopping complex is being recognized for its stonework buildings, curving staircases, arched doorways and windows, terraces and plazas. "Mongoose is a destination in itself," he said. "It contributes to the district because of its beauty."
The Corporate Citizen Award was established last year, with Coral World the first recipient. By adding this new category to the chamber's annual community service awards to individuals, members are paying tribute to businesses as corporate citizens, Aubain said.
The chamber, which has been presenting annual awards since 1983, will recognize this year's honorees at a dinner dance on April 1. The individual honorees will be former Gov. Alexander Farrelly and arts presenter Rhoda Tillett.
Aubain said on Monday that the chamber would formally notify the Mongoose Junction owners of the Corporate Citizen designation on Tuesday.
Day-early news of the honor was both a surprise and a delight for architect Glen Speer, who along with cartoonist Linda Smith-Palmer produced the first design for Mongoose Junction. "It's the reward for doing something nice, but it's not just me," he said. "It's the crew — the stonemasons and the carpenters and everybody else."
Speer made his remarks from a construction office near Enighed Pond, where he and many of the artisans who helped build the shopping center are at work on a new project, set to open later this spring.
"It really is an outstanding contribution," said Irene Patton or R & I Patton jewelers, a member of the Mongoose Junction Merchants Association.
Patton also noted the community spiritedness of the Mongoose shopkeepers over the years. Ten percent of the dues collected by the association are dedicated to community programs, many of which benefit the young. They include Kids And The Sea (KATS), the Pine Peace School, the Future Business Leaders Association and St. John steelbands, she said.

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