Commentary

We have become so Americanized that we’ve lost the tradition of using the Inkberry as a Christmas tree. Many of us don’t realize that the Inkberry tree was also a story-telling tree during the Christmas season. I am talking native story-telling about our culture and the history of these islands.

In 2009, I testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources in Congress in support of the measure to establish Castle Nugent Farms as part of the National Park System. The bill passed the House Committee with a vote of 25-14. Castle Nugent Farms came one step closer to becoming officially a National Historic Site managed by the National Park Service. Nonetheless, the bill never arrived on President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature. 

Former Delegate Donna Christensen advocates for unity among residents to address community challenges and propel the territory toward a brighter future.

This week, the Source reported that more than a dozen St. Croix residents have filed a class action lawsuit against the V.I. Water and Power Authority and Seven Seas Water Corporation over lead and copper contamination in the island’s water supply. WAPA’s CEO responds to the suit in this statement.

In her bi-weekly column, “State of the Territory,” former Sen. Janelle K. Sarauw delves deeper into issues of concern for V.I. residents.

As a conservationist, it can be a burden at times when you've tried your very best to protect these islands’ cultural, natural, historical, and marine resources. It is not so much a matter of protecting the resources. It is rather managing the resources and setting aside the unique historic landscape of the cultural, natural, and marine resources for future generations and for the future of these islands.

Over 14 years ago my life changed forever.  The lab results were in, the doctor entered the hospital room and said the dreaded words that I will never forget, “She has Diabetes Type 1” (DT1).

If passed, the Expediting Disaster Recovery Act will provide for a new funding stream for FEMA to provide the assistance necessary for meeting unmet needs in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

It was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who opined from the Birmingham Jail that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” 

The bill would expand the Farm to School program for school-aged children by making significant investments, and it notably increases the funding for the program from $5 million to $10 million

As our nation collectively pauses to observe Veterans Day, a profound moment to pay tribute to the selfless contributions of the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces, it is not only a time for gratitude but also an imperative occasion for deep reflection on the multifaceted experiences of our veterans.

In the Virgin Islands, we are destroying our prime agricultural land by building upon it with roads, houses, hotels, etc., although government farmland is protected by law. Believe me, food security is an important factor to climate change if we are to survive economically as a people.

The St. Thomas airport runway was just 4,658 feet long at the time, yet still within the recommended length of 4,500 feet. But following this crash in 1976, and for the next 16 years, all large jets arriving to the U.S. Virgin Islands, including most British Virgin Islands passengers, were routed through St. Croix, whose runway was 7,600 feet long at the time (and has since been extended to 10,004 feet).

“A well-functioning and modern port infrastructure is essential to ensure the smooth flow of goods, support our economy and enhance the quality of life for our residents.”

If we had developed a Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan more than 75 years ago, the Virgin Islands wouldn’t be in a predicament like today. Where we build roads, houses, shopping centers, hotels, gas stations, etc., and a laundry list of issues that we face could have been averted if we had a plan as the Virgin Islands continued to grow and develop into the future.

“Exposure to lead and copper in drinking water can cause a range of health problems, including stomach distress, brain damage, liver or kidney damage, and reproductive issues.”

“As an American and a member of Congress, I feel a strong responsibility to protect human rights, defend the innocent and uphold democracy worldwide."

Philip Sturm comments on the proposals put forward by the Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and his staff at a town hall on the economy of Charlotte Amalie. He gives his insights on the decline and all the reasons for it.

Believe me, the site was a gateway to freedom for runaway slaves. Although this year we will be celebrating the 290 years of what we have known in our history as the 1733 slave revolt on St. John, we should also be commemorating the bravery on the northwest of St. Croix where runaway slaves known as Maroons held out and resisted for centuries the Danish government’s brutal slavery system until July 3, 1848, when they got their physical emancipation. They fought for their freedom for hundreds of years. They never gave up the struggle for freedom, and we today are descendants of enslaved Africans, “free Blacks,” and Maroons.