Michael Kareem Marin, aka “Pekean/Big Mike” of Estate Glynn, passed away on Oct. 12. He was 44.
Michael Kareem Marin
He was preceded in death by his father, Miguel “Bug” Marin; stepfather, Andres Lugo; and grandchildren, Jesus Rivera Sr., Theresa Monel, Juan Marin, and Luz Maria Ortiz.
He is survived by his mother, Nitza Rivera; grandchild, Juana M. Soto; daughter, Taylor Dawn; sisters, Albanitza Lugo, Maralyn Bermudez; nieces and nephews, A’Myaliz Dujon, Amare Dujon, Ace Dujon, Angel Sanchez, Robelto Sanchez; aunts, Lin Rivera- Ortiz, Maria Rivera Ortiz, Helen Chin; uncles, Eddison Rivera Sr., Jesus Rivers Jr, Telesforo Ortiz, Jose A. Marin, Aureliano Marin, Ruben Marin, Angel Marin; special Friends, Troy Aka Gizmo, Bully Navarro, Forito Ortiz; cousins and other relatives, Vanessa Rivera, Maralyn Bermudez, Gabriel Rivera, Tasha Gilmore, Jovanee Rivera, Jesus Rivera III, Vanelis Dominguez, Eddison Rivera, Angel Sanchez, Carleen Rivera, Julian Gilmore, Sophia Gilmore, Foro, Roberto Sanchez, Jessica Ortiz, Dalia Ortiz, Joseline Ortiz; other precious cousins too numerous to mention, other precious relatives and friends too numerous to mention, but each one is deeply loved and cherished.
Funeral service will be held on Oct. 30 at El Triumpho. Viewing will take place at 9 a.m., and the service will begin at 10 a.m. Interment follows at Kingshill Cemetery.
Professional services entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
Brother in Law: Wilbur Petersen, Achille Heywood, Albert Heywood, Darrel Heywood
Special Friends: Sheila Kiner, Dalia Mike
Great Nieces and Nephews: Elisa Correa, Denaiya Smith, Nakiya McDavis, Keyonna Evans, Joshua Parker, Clinton Whyte, D’Kari Marsh, Adonis Angol, Keemani Ford, Hughlyna Henry Ahssani Mustafa, Ahmari Smith
Other family and friends too numerous to mention
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend funeral service on Friday, Oct. 24, at First Pentecostal Church – Donoe by pass at 10 a.m. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Dan Hurley Home for Funerals and Cremation Centers of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. For online condolences or to share a special memory visit www.hurleydavisfuneralhome.com
With deep love and profound sorrow, we announce the passing of Volmey Almeric Wallace on Sept. 26, 2025, at the age of 71 in Austin, Texas. Volmey was a true Virgin Islander and for the past six years his dream was to return home to St. Thomas.
Volmey Almeric Wallace
Well, Volmey, you’re back home!
Volmey was preceded in death by his parents, Lupercio Alvin Wallace and Cecile Daniel Wallace; his late brother, Rudy W. Wallace; his late sister, Joan Wallace Lynton; his late niece, Camisha George, and other family and friends too numerous to mention.
He is survived by his sisters Dr. Phyllis L. Wallace and Dr. Lelia L. Wallace-Hackett; his nieces Keona Woodards, Porshia Hackett-Chidester, Celia Hackett, and Shaunamarie Chidester- Betz; and nephews Alex Hackett and Christian Chidester.
Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend a funeral service on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI. Interment is at the Western Cemetery #2. Funeral arrangement is under the care of Dan Hurley Home for Funerals and Cremation Centers of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. For online condolences or to share a special memory visit www.hurleydavisfuneralhome.com
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Conrad Prevost, 88, of Williams Delight, currently residing in Topeka, KS.
Conrad Prevost
Conrad was born on the island of Dominica and later traveled to Antigua and then St. Croix, where he spent most of his life. He also spent time in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic before his passing. Conrad was a pipe fitter and worked for years in the Hess oil refinery and later Hovensa. He enjoyed fishing, swimming, and cooking for his family and friends.
Conrad is preceded in death by his brothers, Dennis, John, Elie and Claytus; Sisters, Clarencia, Mida, and Dorothy. He is survived by his two brothers: Paul and George Prevost. His sons: Keith Roy, Conrad Jr and Clarance Prevost. Daughters: Cecilia Prevost, Claudia Prevost, Claricia Gautier and Maria Prevost.
Great Grandchildren: Ah’naeja Christian, Azari Edwards, Shamoi Francis, Ajani Baltmore, Assiah Caul, Massiah Caul, and LoveLee Caul. Conrad also has numerous nephews and nieces throughout North American and the Caribbean too many to mention.
Special Friends and Family Members: Eunice Arias, Octavio Del Villar, Maicol (Fonky) Beltre, Pedro De Los Santos (son-in-law).
Conrad lived a long life; he was tough, but he enjoyed helping those around him. Nevertheless, it brings great peace knowing he gave his life to Jesus Christ. Now, he is resting in the arms of his Savior.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the public viewing on Oct. 21, 10 a.m. CDT/11 am EDT at Peaceful Rest Funeral Chapel and Cremation in Topeka, Kansas. Followed by a celebration of life ceremony at 11 a.m. CDT/12 p.m. EDT. For online viewing, condolences, or to share memories, please visit:
Scenic artwork depicting Frenchtown, St. Thomas, with the St. Anne Chapel sitting atop the hill in the center of the community. (Photo courtesy The French Heritage Museum)
The other day, while I was searching my office archive for information on fresh water fishes in streams of the Virgin Islands for a graduate student researcher from Clemson University, North Carolina, I came across some rare information about the ethnohistory of the French settlement on the island of St. Thomas during the Danish rule of these islands.
Olasee Davis (Submitted photo)
In the 16th century, the French privateers opposed Spain’s claim to the monopolization on all the islands in the Caribbean and wealth of the Antilles. However, by the 17th century, Spain’s power began to weaken as French settlements began to appear in several islands in the Lesser Antilles.
By the 1650s, the French were in possession of Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Kitts, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, and St. Croix, which was a French possession for 83 years. What is left of the French identity on St. Croix are a few estates names such as Montpelier, Bonne Esperance, and the like. Flamboy (flambeau) is a French term for the torch that was commonly used for catching lobsters at night around the rocky shoreline of St. Croix up until the 1960s.
Kribeshee was another French term for catching “gut lobster” or shrimp in the streams of St. Croix. Both words are no longer in use today, culturally, due to the traditional loss of catching lobsters along the rocky shoreline with a flamboy (flambeau) torch at night, and fishing for kribeshee in our once-flowing streams all year around. In a few places on St. Croix, French names have been renamed: Sandy Point from Pointe de Sable, Salt River from Riviere Salee, and several other names on the island.
Other cultural elements of the French are seen in the remnants of dance, music, or folk literature, which lingers to this day among older Virgin Islanders telling stories of long ago. However, the French Creole language didn’t survive on St. Croix, like other islands in the Caribbean such as St. Lucia and Dominica. However, on St. Thomas, the French dialect survived until recently, due to the generation gap of the older and younger French of the Virgin Islands. In other words, the French dialect, or Creole speaking, on St. Thomas has not been continually passed down as it once was years ago to the younger generations.
A fisherman sells fish to patrons in Frenchtown, circa 1941. (Photo courtesy French Heritage Museum/ Photographer Jack Delano, 1941)
In 1979, the late Dr. Arnold R. Highfield wrote a small book titled, “The French Dialect of Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands: A Descriptive Grammar with Texts and Glossary.” By profession, Highfield received his PhD in Romance Linguistics from Ohio State University. He also attended the universities of Madrid and Lausanne and contributed scholarly articles to several journals. Such a book he translated into English was, “Description of the Island of St. Croix in America in the West Indies,” written by a Danish man named Reimert Haagensen in the 1730s.
Almost 50 years ago, Highfield conducted a scientific survey on the ethnolinguistic history of the French community of St. Thomas. His research traces the history of the small village, or what was known back then as Carenage, a neighborhood in Frenchtown, or also known then as Gallows Bay on the west side of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
Another settlement of French descent was on the North Side of St. Thomas. From what Highfield gathered in his research, the North Side French Creole is of the Lesser Antilles region of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Trinidad, and St. Lucia, whereas the Carenage is clearly a dialect of Gallo-romance. From what I gather from the French research of St. Thomas by Highfield, the exact time French immigrants came to St. Thomas is not certain.
Some documents say 1865. Others say after 1870. Whatever the date was, it is well established that a small but steady stream of French immigrants migrated from St. Barthelemy to St. Thomas, with, eventually, the development as a linguistic community in the Virgin Islands. Why the migration of the French settlers from St. Barts to the Danish West Indies, particularly the island of St. Thomas? Without a doubt, St. Barts was the least important of the French possessions in the Caribbean.
It was a history of hardship for the French people on St. Barts. The island soil was extremely rocky for agriculture development. Then in 1656, the French people had a surprise attack and massacre by the Kalinago’s “Island Carib,” which forced settlers off St. Barts temporarily. In 1659, Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, who once owned St. Crox, sent a second group of Frenchmen to resettle St. Barts. By 1664, the island inhabitants had grown from 30 men to 100. Linguistically speaking, Highfield believed this bit of evidence from the history of French on St. Barts is important in his study of the dialect among the French people on St. Thomas.
In his notes, Highfield stated, “the French community on St. Barts can be traced back directly to 1664 with little interference from the outside. Clearly, the form of French (i.e., French, and not Creole) spoken in St. Barts is the lineal descendant of the form of speech which prevailed there in 1664.” Nevertheless, by the beginning of the 19th century, people from St. Barts begin to migrate, particularly from a small community at Gustavia, which traded with other West Indies islands.
This trading, Highfield believed, gave some of them some idea of the outside world. As economic conditions on the island worsened by the mid-19th century, they began to entertain emigration for the first time. In 1871, France was in a war with Prussia. Thereafter, France’s economy collapsed. As a result, a small group from St. Barts decided to go elsewhere to provide for their families.
Because of the maritime trade between the Caribbean islands, St. Thomas became a major attraction for the poverty-stricken migrants from St. Barts, where they could find suitable employment in fishing and in agriculture. I have not yet touched the surface of the history of the French people on St. Thomas, especially their music, dancing, culture, religion, courtship practices, folklore, intermarriage with local Blacks, etc. A Part 2 will be coming!
— Olasee Davis is a bush professor who lectures and writes about the culture, history, ecology and environment of the Virgin Islands when he is not leading hiking tours of the wild places and spaces of St. Croix and beyond.
Government House spokesperson Richard Motta Jr. updated Virgin Islanders during a weekly press briefing Monday held at Government House on St. Thomas. (Photo courtesy Government House)
Veterans on St. Croix will no longer have to pay out of pocket when traveling to Puerto Rico for medical care.
Government House spokesperson Richard Motta Jr. announced during a weekly press briefing Monday that the V.I. Veterans Affairs Office and airline Fly the Whale entered into a partnership to cover costs for veterans who have set up appointments through the U.S. Veterans Affairs clinic on St. Croix. Once that appointment is presented to the V.I. Veterans Affairs Office in writing, Motta said, the office will make arrangements for the veteran and travel companion, if necessary.
Veterans Affairs Director Patrick Farrell said in a statement Monday that securing better access to medical care for the territory’s veterans has always been one of the office’s top priorities.
“This is a significant step in that direction,” he said. “We hope to be able to do the same for our Veterans residing on the island of St. Thomas in the near future.”
During Monday’s briefing, Motta also announced a pair of industry days for contractors and suppliers seeking work related to the territory’s $25 billion recovery from hurricanes Irma and Maria through the government’s Rebuild USVI initiative. The first will be held on Oct. 27 at the Westin Beach Resort on St. Thomas, and the second will be held on Oct. 29 at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix.
“This is where our local contractors and suppliers meet the prime contractors who are rebuilding schools, hospitals, clinics, roads and utilities here in the territory,” Motta said. “You’ll hear scopes, schedules and exactly how to qualify as a subcontractor or a vendor in the recovery process.”
Motta asked interested companies to register by Wednesday and said local small businesses will be given priority.
“If you pour concrete, pull up wire, run pipe, move dirt or furnish classrooms and clinics, get in the room so our recovery dollars stay here at home,” he said.
Later, Motta said the ongoing federal shutdown has caused some delays in the territory’s recovery efforts but that the flow of federal disaster recovery funds haven’t been affected yet.
“What we’re seeing right now are some disruptions to … permitting processes, because of the government shutdown,” he said. “There are a lot of people and a lot of offices that have furloughed workers or have closed their offices all together during the shutdown period. It has delayed some of those things, like permitting, but in terms of the actual funding for the disaster recovery … as of this moment, we don’t see any significant impacts to that — and we would certainly hope that there will be a resolution to end the government shutdown before we can even get to something like that occurring.”
The shutdown has affected some federal assistance programs.
Last week, the V.I. Human Services Department advised all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients that their November benefits could be delayed because of the lapse in federal funding through the U.S. Agriculture Department.
“This means that EBT cards will not receive November benefits until federal funding is restored,” according to a statement from Human Services, which urged households to “plan ahead, budget carefully, and conserve current benefits during this uncertain period.”
Senate President Milton Potter subsequently introduced draft legislation to provide emergency relief for Virgin Islands SNAP recipients, and Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s financial team is set to update the Legislature as to the full financial impact of the shutdown during a Committee of the Whole meeting next week.
How can Virgin Islanders cut the cost of building a home nearly in half – without sacrificing quality or safety? That question takes center stage at the USVI Innovative Housing Construction Summit, hosted by Sen. Marvin Blyden, opening Thursday, at the UVI Innovation Center on St. Thomas, and continuing Friday, at the UVI Great Hall on St. Croix.
The two-day summit brings together homeowners, contractors, and policymakers for a rare opportunity to see new building technologies in action — tools that promise to reduce construction costs by 40–50% while enhancing strength and sustainability. Vendors and experts from as far as Canada and as near as Puerto Rico will showcase affordable solutions tailored to island conditions, from modular design systems to hurricane-resilient materials.
“This summit represents a major step toward addressing the high cost of home construction in the Virgin Islands,” Blyden said. “By embracing innovation, we can help families build stronger, more affordable homes and secure a better future for our residents and the Territory as a whole.”
Beyond demonstrations, the event will feature panels on financing options, sustainable building codes, and local workforce development to ensure these new approaches benefit residents long term. The summit, presented in partnership with the Virgin Islands Territorial Association of REALTORS, aims to build connections between public and private sectors to accelerate progress toward affordable, resilient housing across the islands.
Sessions run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on St. Thomas and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on St. Croix, and are free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged at usviinnovativeconstruction.com, and updates can be found on Facebook and YouTube under USVI Innovative Housing Construction.
As Attorney General of the United States Virgin Islands, one of my tasks is to offer the executive branch legal advice in the form of Attorney General Opinions. Recently Government House asked me to provide a legal opinion concerning the applicability of statutory deadlines to contingent coastal zone permits that require approval from the Federal Government. Following the Justice Department’s usual practice, the resulting opinion was researched and drafted by an experienced attorney in DOJ’s Solicitor General’s Division, reviewed by the Solicitor General, and then reviewed by me before being issued and forwarded to Government House.
V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea (Photo courtesy DOJ)
Several articles and editorials have criticized that opinion, especially as it relates to the Summer’s End permit, claiming it was influenced by political pressure from Government House, “weaponization” of the Justice Department, and bias favoring rampant development at the expense of environmental concerns. None of these criticisms have any basis in fact.
My job as Attorney General is to issue legal opinions that correctly interpret the law. At no time has anyone from Government House suggested or implied what my conclusions should be. I take very seriously my responsibility to fairly and accurately render legal opinions, irrespective of the consequences when they are applied to specific facts. The law is the law. My objective is to state it clearly and correctly and let the chips fall where they may. And if my legal opinion contributes to results which some citizens dislike, they are free to litigate the matter in court.
The assertion that my opinion reflects a lack of concern about environmental harm is equally spurious. I have been a practicing member of the Virgin Islands bar for over 40 years. During the 1980’s and 90’s, the bulk of my practice involved representing workers injured from exposure to toxins at the workplace, including asbestos, heavy metal catalysts, isocyanate paints, and bauxite residue. I and other local attorneys brought successful litigation to end groundwater contamination on St. Croix at the Hess/HOVIC refinery and by gasoline companies at the Tutu Aquifer on St. Thomas. I was also co-counsel representing New Jersey and Puerto Rico in environmental litigation against major oil companies for contaminating groundwater resources and successfully tried a case on St. Thomas against a major cigarette manufacturer who had caused widespread suffering and death through its program to addict children to nicotine. That case resulted in the largest civil jury verdict ever rendered in the Virgin Islands.
As my background demonstrates, I have devoted much of my life to protecting the environment and advancing public health. To suggest that I favor big businesses over public health and the environment is flatly wrong. My goal is to correctly interpret the law. If you don’t like the law, work to change it, but don’t shoot the messenger who informs you about what the law says.
— V.I. Attorney General Gordon Rhea
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
IEKHS Rays huddle up for a final prayer after winning Friday night’s game against CAHS 20-14. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
Students, friends, and alumni packed the bleachers and crowded the fences Friday night at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, where Charlotte Amalie High School’s homecoming celebration couldn’t quite overcome a 20-14 defeat to the unbeaten Rays.
The CAHS Hawks faced off with the IEKHS Rays in a hard fought match that ended in a 14-20 loss to their longtime rivals. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
Homecoming king Rey’almo Dunlop, a 10th-grader, was crowned before the game. His mother, Cinique Marie Bonelli Stout, a Charlotte Amalie alumna, watched her son navigate new territory.
CAHS homecoming king Rey’almo Dunlop and mother Cinique Marie Bonelli Stout share a sweet moment after the sophomore’s crowning. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
Dunlop laughed in disbelief at being named homecoming king, “It’s an honor but scary.” He noted that he would not have taken the risk if not for his mother’s encouragement.
“He’s getting to meet a lot of new people since his reign,” Stout said. “And I love that the experience is helping him come out of his shell.”
The crowd stayed on the edge of their seats through four quarters of back-and-forth football that saw the lead change hands three times before Kean pulled away with a touchdown late in the second quarter. Charlotte Amalie threatened in the fourth but came up short on two drives, the last ending with an interception.
Fans from both sides created a sea of mixed emotions when the Hawks tied the game 14-14 going into the half. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)Hawks cheerleaders posed for a halftime photo before taking on Kean’s squad in a cheer off. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
Quarterback James Boschulte III gave the Hawks an early lead with a rushing touchdown, and the crowd erupted. Kean’s Giwinsley Joseph answered with a 3-yard score late in the first to tie it 8-8. Chrislord Bernard’s 10-yard touchdown run put the Rays ahead 14-8 early in the second quarter, but Hawks receiver Tyler Clark evened the score midway through the period.
Hawks quarterback James Boschulte III commanded the field throughout the tense matchup. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
Sikhoy Fahie’s 28-yard touchdown run near the end of the half gave the Rays a 20-14 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Sophomores Delonte Matthew (left) and Lincoln Powell celebrate another victory for the undefeated Rays. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
The CAHS band and auxiliary team kept the stands lively as the tension rose, and cheerleaders from both sides brought their best routines to a halftime cheer-off.
Hawks band director Akeel Breedy (‘95) poses with the band and auxiliary team after a halftime performance that had the entire crowd swaying. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
Boschulte threw for approximately 150 yards but was intercepted twice, including a fourth-quarter pick in the red zone by Rays linebacker Jonathan Bertrand and a game-ending interception by Davidson Verdant Jr.
“We have to get over the hump and beat Eudora Kean,” Charlotte Amalie head coach Ryan Thomas said. “We’ll see them again in the championship, and it’ll be an even better game.”
Charlotte Amalie Chicken Hawks reflect on a close game and heartbreaking loss after a last-minute turnover sealed their fate in Friday night’s rivalry rematch. (Source photo by Amara Stokes Gilbert)
The loss leaves Charlotte Amalie at 2-2 heading into the second half of the season, while Kean remains undefeated.
Lennox Charles Daley, aka “Ted” of Hannah’s Rest, formerly of Roseau, Dominica transitioned into eternal life on Sept. 28 at the age of 76.
Lennox Charles Daley
He was a well-known and respected radio personality on DBS Radio, on the island of Dominica for 38 years. He also loved sports, especially soccer, basketball, cricket, tennis, and football, and was a talented sportscaster.
Ted was preceded in death by his mother, Zephrine Antonia Thomas (Mama); sisters Angela Moses, Rosie John, Winifred Andrea and Janine Daley.
He is survived by his wife, Hephelia Daley; brother, Lloyd Daley; son, Ted Daley Jr.; daughter, Aretha Daley; grandchildren, Tervin Daley, Terry Daley; nieces, Avril Barker, Ramona Henry-Semper, Kayla Jean Jacques, Kordel Joseph, Kilah Jacques, Naomi John, Janelle Daley, Margaret Allahar; nephews, Skeffington Anthony, Alvin Thomas, Augustus LeBruin, Desmond Anthony, Allan Anthony, Jeffrey George, Augustin Williams Jr., Timothy Daley, Thomas E. Daley, Lloyd A. Daley; brothers-in-law, Patrick Roland John Jr., Cedrick Anselm, Kenrick Jean Jacques, Rennick John; sisters-in-law, Patricia Anselm, Paula Jean Jacques, Elizabeth Mueller; cousins, Tom Daley, McDonald Thomas, Juliana (Julie) Thomas, Rita Thomas, Francis Thomas, Alex (Brother) Daley, Davidson Daley, Francis Daley, Desmond Daley, Damian Daley, Donald Daley, Delbert Daley, Shern Daley, Alder Daley, Ashton Daley, Fitzroy Daley, Herman Daley, William Daley Jr., Tom Daley, Terry Daley, Heodora Daley, Ashworth Daley; grandneices and grandnephews, Jahnoi, T’shon, Kavon, Alex, Jahkisha, Jahzmin, Terique, Anna, Bella, Tawana, Carvin, Keenan, Kenyatta, Khalila, Deshuana, Rashawn, Chenoa, Novalee, Lynnesse, Marley, Joshua, Kylah, Illia, Creighton, Kareem, Asia, Kenya, Malique, Ysatis, T’mae, Tae, Imani, Asia, Armanie, Timeshka; godchildren, Sacha Anseln, Yanah Seaman; friends and buddies, Eudine Peters, Gloria Thomas, Thora Daley, Janet Daley, Leroy Wadix Charles, Ossie Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Hyacinth and family, Mr. and Mrs. Catherine Phillip, James Electronics, (the brothers), Dr. Yolande Thomas, Lynette Daley, Lambert Charles and family, Mr. Brown, Wilda Emmanuel and family, Mary Marquis, Alleyne (Ali) George, Mr. and Mrs. Seaman and family, Ewoe and Esra Emmanuel, the Coipel family, Cuthbert (C.P.), the Delsol’s family, Elma, Lambie and family, Nola, Halie, Emelda, Claudia, Sandra, Magdalene, Olga and Rennie Romaine and family, Randy Germain, Alfred Edney, Bunty Austrie, Ralph Soodeen, all staff, past and present, of Dominica Broadcasting Service, DBS, especially Mr. Denis Joseph, Allison Mitchel & Family, Daphney & family.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at James Memorial Funeral Home on November 2. There will be a gathering at 1 pm and a service at 2 pm.
Professional services entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
