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Questions Over Beach Work Leads to Legislative Tussle

The section of shoreline adjacent to the V.I. Coast Guard facility has been cleared and covered with sand.A Virgin Islands senator and the executive director of the V.I. Legislature exchanged harsh words and possibly a few physical swipes Wednesday in a public row over unorthodox and possibly illegal renovations of the Legislature grounds.
The midday fight between Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg and former senate candidate and Legislative Executive Director Louis M. Willis — which quickly became the talk of the town Wednesday on St. Thomas — apparently stemmed from a disagreement over actions taken by Willis to create more parking behind the Legislature building.
Using heavy equipment over the weekend, Willis moved rocks and dirt and even brought in sand to create a small beach.
Donastorg insisted that Willis skirted the permitting process that all other Virgin Islanders would be subject to and accused Willis of inappropriately spending Senate funds.
Willis insisted he was within bounds.
When the two confronted each other in public Wednesday, they lost all decorum and exchanged obscenities, according to eyewitnesses.
Donastorg, who once ran for governor, has accused Willis of trying to push him multiple times. Willis, in turn, accused Donastorg of scratching him and showed a Source reporter a fresh mark on his forearm.
Willis confirmed that a DPNR enforcement officer did come by the Legislature Wednesday and issue a verbal cease and desist order after complaints came flooding into DPNR offices, but said that the project was finished earlier in the week.
DPNR spokesman Jamal Nielsen said the Legislature does not have the minor Coastal Zone Management permit required to clear the land for the parking spaces and revamp the shoreline.
Willis said he thought, since improvements at the Legislature have been ongoing for the past few months, that DPNR had issued a general permit that would have allowed for the improvements instead of just a permit that would allow for the maintenance building at the back parking lot to be turned into a lunch room.
"If I’m wrong, then I’m wrong, but I thought I had a permit," Willis said, adding that Donastorg had knowingly executed projects during his tenure as Senate president that were also done without the required documents.

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