The V.I. Continuum of Care Council asks for help assessing the territory’s levels of homelessness.
A point-in-time count is a coordinated community effort to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness in a community in a single day/night and includes a survey administered to individuals experiencing homelessness.
HUD will use our count data to evaluate the effectiveness of USVI efforts to address homelessness and to determine funding amounts for future programming. Accurate data is essential for the USVI.
The family of the beloved Isidoro Felix Ortiz are saddened to announce his passing on Dec. 30, 2024.
Isidoro Felix Ortiz
He is survived by his wife: Isabel Felix; daughters: Maria Duncan, Margarita, Cristina and Sandra Felix; sons: Fernando “Papo Eddie”, Jose “Tony”, Raul, Reynaldo “Rey”, Miguel, and Manuel Felix; sisters: Mary, Lughina, and Petra Felix Ortiz; Brothers: Jesus “Chu”, Demetrio “Cano”, Esteban Felix Ortiz; grandchildren: Roberto “Sotito’, Julio, Maria “Chiquita”, Griselle “Bebe”, Ana Felix. Nyle, Anthony and Jermaine Duncan, Yesenia and Xiomara Felix,Elizabeth “Mama”, Anthony and Jose “Jochy” Felix, Marc Anthony and Miguel Torres, Carlos “Lito”, Gabriel “Gaby”, Serenity, Tru Angel, Emily Felix, Reyna, and Isa Felix, Anthony and Adassa Felix, Ronnell “RJ”, Jeromiah “JJ”, and Delaylah “Lala” Young, Isinuel “EZ” Poche and Isiandra “Sian, Izzy” Williams, Manuel “MJ”, Myalize “Mya”, and Maliyah “Mali” Felix; other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
Family and friends viewing will be Thursday, Jan. 23 at Kingshill Funeral Home Chapel, Clifton Hill, 303 Kingshill St. Croix., viewing time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Funeral Service will be held on Friday, Jan. 24 at La Iglesias De Dios, Estate Profit St. Croix, Viewing 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Mango Tango presents two divergent shows Jan. 25 from 5:30 until 8:30.
“This Way” by Donald Laurent Dahlke
While W B Thompson has created his mixed-media exhibition here in St.Thomas, Don Dahlke, formerly of St. Croix and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico has created his oil-on-canvas paintings in Oregon.
Donald Laurent Dahlke’s first show at Mango Tango was in 1990. At that time he was developing his whimsical figurative style with great success. Almost 10 years later, Thompson asked to work with the gallery, noting that Mango Tango’s affiliation with the talented Dahlke interested him.
Both artists make the Virgin Islands proud. Both have developed different styles snapped up by avid collectors. In addition to Dahlke’s whimsical style, his portal style has garnered him international recognition. In 2002, he was selected for a solo exhibition at Museo de las Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico for his abstract endeavors.
In 2008, Thompson was chosen along with 11 other Caribbean and Latin American artists to participate in an Absolut Vodka art collaboration entitled Absolut mmVodka Connections. Thompson joins Andy Warhol and Keith Haring and 300 other recognized painters, sculptors, and photographers who rendered their unique artistic interpretation of the bottle.
“Male Figure” by W.B Thompson
Dahlke’s exhibition includes four different styles: his portals, florals, layered figurative, and early whisicals. The portals create a window on the Caribbean where the viewer can dream. The florals are more spontaneous and include abstract compositions. The layered figurative style is called “We the People” and addresses sexual and racial inequality. Additionally, he includes a 40 by 60 inch vintage whimsical of islanders painted in St. Croix.
Thompson continues with his “Controlling Chaos with Color” technique which includes the initial drawing with conte pencil, painting with acrylic paint, and outlining with large oil pastel sticks. On view and for sale will be several island scenes and florals, the largest of which is a 8 by 5 foot painting of the harbor. He has also created three-dimensional assemblages, that is paintings with cut out layers.
Dahlke notes that he “is a multifaceted artist working in a variety of approaches and an assortment of media. My goal in creating art is not about seeking approval, but about developing a process that asks the questions of what art can be, how it can change, how we look at art and not limited to repeating a concept. Overall, I am an artist uninspired by trends and driven by my own devices.”
“Harbor Moonlight” by W B Thompson
Thompson explains that the works included in this show are his most recent works. “I have been evolving with my cut-out assemblages that are three-dimensional layered collages. The Caribbean landscape and harbor always provide a never ending inspiration. Over the years I have watched Dahlke’s many deep dives into realism, abstraction, and surrealism. We both work with other galleries, but sharing this venue with him as a part of Team Mango Tango is an honor.”
Please note that Thompson opened another show last Friday night at 81c. Gallery owner Jane Coombes sighs that “I am jealous of the dynamic mammoth-sized assemblage of a scratch band. But truthfully, 81c had just the wall on which to showcase Thompson’s talent to the new gallery’s followers, a gallery which is open Monday through Friday from 5 to 8pm.”
Guitar virtuoso Louis Taylor and maestro conga drummer Ras Abu will offer jazzy tunes in the parking lot where spirits and appetizers with be served. Inside, the walls will be brimming with new art.
The show continues for one month. To view the show, visit the gallery’s website: mangotangoart.com. For more information call 340 777 3060.
Community members on Martin Luther King Jr. Day march through the Sunny Isles Shopping Center in remembrance of the civil rights leader. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
Each year, across the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands, communities come together to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr., whose tireless fight for civil rights and social justice changed the trajectory of American History. On Monday, residents of St. Croix came out in crowds of over 500 people to march in honor of the civil rights leader.
Schools including St. Croix Educational Complex, St. Croix Central High School, John H. Woodson Junior High, Lew Muckle Elementary, Claude O. Marco Elementary, Alfredo Andrews Elementary, Eulalie Rivera Elementary, St. Mary’s Catholic School, and St. Croix Seventh-day Adventist School participated. Additionally, groups like the Girl Scouts of St. Croix, fraternities, sororities, and many others also took part.
The St. Croix Educational Complex JROTC march in the Martin Luther King Jr. parade Monday. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
Immediately after the march, a ceremony was held in honor of King and the ceremony opened with conch blows from Terrence “Positive” Nelson and community member Jesus Espinosa. Masters of ceremony George Otto and Benson Ward led attendees through the program. Otto quoted King and said, “If justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Tide in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one, affects all indirectly.”
Jesus Espinosa blows the conch shell during the march in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
“This applies to school, this applies to the government, this applies to parents, this applies how you love people, this applies to anything. The same way we treat people, the same energy is going to come back to you,” said Otto.
Civil Rights Committee Chair-President Antoinette Rampersad led the crowd in singing the song “We Shall Overcome,” and a moment of silence was recognized for locals who we have lost over the years. Student Kaleb Joseph from Lew Muckle Elementary School delivered an emotional rendition of King’s iconic 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, originally recited at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Joseph recited from memory and delivered with tears in his eyes.
Civil Rights Committee Chair-President Antoinette Rampersad sings “We Shall Overcome” and asks the crowd to join in. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
A special keynote message was delivered by the CEO of AST Speaks and an assistant professor at the University of the Virgin Islands, Chenzira Davis-Kahina.
Kaleb Joseph from the Lew Muckle Elementary School recites the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
“What really caught me was seeing a sea of young people. We saw the children come through today. What we saw today is what was important for them to share their voice, their vision, their power, their leadership in the Virgin Islands, St. Croix in particular,” she said.
Keynote speaker Chenzira Davis-Kahina delivers words to an audience during the Martin Luther King, Jr. ceremony Monday. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
“When we speak of a great man of peace, a great man of nonviolence, of civil disobedience, of leadership and strength. Someone who could articulate and enunciate every element of language in English and make it meaningful to a person who does not even speak that language. That is part of the embodiment of that man of peace, that man of God, that man of infinite source, Martin Luther King Jr. was,” said Davis-Kahina.
She also referred to another one of King’s speeches delivered in 1963, in which he said, “Everywhere paralyzing fears harrow people by day and haunt them by night. Deep clouds of anxiety and depression are suspended in our mental skies. More people are emotionally disturbed today than at any other time in human history.”
“Doesn’t that sound familiar? Does it sound similar to what we are experiencing right here, right now, more than 60 years later?” Davis Kahina asked.
St. Croix Central High School JROTC stands in honor of the national anthem, Virgin Islands March, and the Black national anthem. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
Other performances were by the St. Croix Central High School’s “Golden Voices,” who sang The national anthem, The Virgin Islands Anthem, and the Black national anthem. Also, there were performances by the Alfredo Andrews Elementary School, St. Mary’s School, Noah Ramnarine Cebedo, the Lew Muckle Elementary Quadrille Dancers, the CHS Carib Divas Dance Squad, words from the reigning Miss St. Croix 2024-2025 and other dignitaries.
Marchers made their way up Main Street on St. Thomas on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity hosted a peace march in honor of the late civil rights leader.
School groups, Girl Scouts, marching bands, majorettes, fraternities, sororities and labor leaders joined the line of march from Rothschild Francis Market Square to Emancipation Garden.
Organizers lead the way in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
Merchants and tourists joined V.I. residents and parents of student marchers, taking in the spectacle. Grand Marshal Moleto Smith captured the spirit of the day, reflecting on the holiday and the inauguration of a new U.S. president.
“I know there’s a lot of things happening today — some in Washington, D.C., but this is what’s happening here,” Smith said. “Since 1986, when Martin Luther King Day was first observed as a federal holiday, millions of people throughout the world and the country commemorate this with marches and rallies.”
From the shade of Educator’s Park, observers view the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
At the foot of Educator’s Park — across the road from the post office, Elvis Richardson and his family viewed the event. “This was a wonderful activity. We need to have activities like this,” he said.
Girl Scouts chant and march on their way to a rally in Emancipation Garden. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach said he came to “honor our icons” but also in support of an effort to rally Virgin Islanders around a shared ideal.
“Community building, spiritual grounding, and just encouraging our people to hold on in difficult moments,” Roach said.
Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach joins march organizers Monday. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
Alpha Phi Alpha’s local chapter was chartered on St. Thomas in 1962, making it the oldest Greek-letter organization in the Virgin Islands. They welcomed Senate President Milton Potter, who delivered the keynote address at the rally that followed the peace march up Main Street Monday.
A single-entry participant at the peace march reminds everyone about King’s most memorable message. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and civil rights advocate who led peace marches across the American South from 1955 in support of minority voters, unionized workers, and other worthy causes until his assassination in April 1968. Former President Ronald Reagan signed a measure proclaiming King’s birthday as a national holiday on Nov. 2, 1983.
Young Virgin Islanders will soon have access to free ancestor research tools. (Shutterstock image)
Virgin Islanders will soon have better tools to trace their ancestral roots as the Education Department partners with The Brue Family Learning Center to give all the territory’s schools free access to the American Ancestors platform.
The program that launches Jan. 22 offers educators a platform that brings history, heritage, and identity to life through genealogy research, according to a release from Education’s Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education.
The launch coincides with Black History Month in February and Virgin Islands History Month in March. Education officials said it was an opportunity for teachers to guide students on a journey of self-discovery and cultural pride.
“Through this platform, educators can access a curriculum that helps youth trace their family stories and understand their heritage, dive into historical records like census documents, immigration files, and vital records, and use interactive tools and multimedia to make history engaging and personal,” the statement said.
Here’s how it works:
Connect to Your School Network: To access the platform, make sure you are connected to your school’s secure internet. Access is tied to each school’s network.
Automatic Login: The system will recognize your school’s network and grant access automatically. You’ll see a banner confirming your access.
Create a Personal Account (Optional, but Highly Recommended): Click Sign Up or Register. Use your school email to create an account. This allows you to save searches, bookmark resources, and customize your experience.
Explore Resources: Check out the Learning Center for guides, tutorials, and lesson plans. Dive into the Youth Genealogy Curriculum to find engaging activities for students.
Troubleshooting: If you experience any issues, confirm your connection to the school network. Reach out to your IT team or contact the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education for support.
The 2025 National Black History Month theme, African Americans and Labor, underscores the immense contributions of Black people to the labor movement and the progress of society, Education officials said.
“Nationally, the spotlight shines on Ashley L. Totten, a pioneering labor leader whose work with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters paved the way for the first African American labor union to receive a charter from the American Federation of Labor. It is vital to highlight that Totten was born on St. Croix, making him not only a national figure but a proud son of the Virgin Islands of the United States,” the written statement said.
“Our students should take this opportunity to research Totten’s legacy and explore the broader history of labor movements in the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean. By engaging with the stories of laborers and their significant contributions, they can gain a deeper appreciation of the resilience and unity that have shaped our collective identity.
This exploration connects their heritage to a larger narrative, empowering them to understand the vital role of labor in shaping both the Virgin Islands and the wider world.”
For more information or support, contact the Director of the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education, Stephanie C. Brown, via email at stephanie.cbrown@vide.vi or at 340-773-1095 ext. 7032.
Margy Kaye, Jeune´ Provost, Bill Pandos, Priscilla Hintz Rivera Knight, and David Knight Jr. meet at Bajo El Sol Gallery and Art Bar to discuss the upcoming series on Virgin Islands art, which is open to the public. (Source photo by Amy H. Roberts)
Artists, historians, and art curators are teaming up to present “Expressions of Heritage,” a free course about art in the Virgin Islands that begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Everyone is invited to attend the series of six weekly workshops, which will be held at the St. John School of the Arts.
“This series will explore different historical periods, art forms, and cultural movements, blending historical context with current contemporary creative practices,” said Priscilla Hintz Rivera Knight, one of the series organizers and presenters.
Knight will be leading off the series this Wednesday with an overview of the cultural diversity of the Caribbean, looking primarily at Indigenous, African, and European influences and traditional Creole art forms. Her presentation will include Taino artistic practices such as petroglyphs, ceremonial artifacts and symbolic motifs.
Each week presenters will delve into a different historical time period and relate it to works currently being produced. “From indigenous Taino artistry to the creative expressions of contemporary Virgin Islands artists, participants will uncover how art has been used to reflect identity, resilience, and cultural transformation,” Knight said.
Although each of the six sessions can be enjoyed on its own, participants are encouraged to sign up and attend all six workshops to “fully understand the historical trajectory of USVI art,” according to Knight.
Rock carvings near Reef Bay on St. John are some of the earliest forms of art created by Indigenous people. (Photo by Ken Wild. In Taino Today series by Amy H. Roberts)
The series is a collaboration between the St. John School of the Arts – now in its 44th year – and The Gri Gri Project, whose mission is “the creation of interpretive exhibitions, critical writing, events and archives related to the arts and cultural patrimony of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Caribbean region.”
Taino Jade Frog, Salt River, St. Croix / (Photo by Søren Greve, The National Museum of Denmark)
The series is underwritten by Bill Pandos and his wife Margy Kaye who have a home on St. John. Pandos studied art first as an undergraduate and then as a graduate student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His career morphed from media and academic computing to arts administration, and he still serves on the boards of several arts organizations in the Midwest.
This past year Pandos became involved with the St. John School of the Arts and sponsored two arts classes – an advanced art course for youngsters and an art class for adults, according to Jeune´ Provost, executive director of SJSA.
As he learned more about the art produced in the Virgin Islands, Pandos began discussions with Priscilla Knight and her husband David Knight Jr., cofounders of The Gri-Gri Project and owners of Bajo El Sol Gallery and Art Bar. They worked together on the design of the course, which brings in presenters from St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Priscilla Knight will discuss how the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean were documented by artists in the beginning of the modern period. Caribbean-born individuals who contributed to, countered and influenced the development of modern art movements and styles will be highlighted, she said. Her talk will include the significant presence of Camille Pissarro as a St. Thomas-born progenitor of Impressionism.
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, UVI arts instructor Shira Sofer will explore the legacy of enslaved Africans and their influence on Caribbean and Virgin Islands art forms, including paintings, sculptures, and spirituality, among other art forms. Sofer will highlight African cultural traditions and iconography in the creative expression of Virgin Islands artists.
LaVaughn Belle will be the featured presenter Wednesday, Feb 12. Belle became well-known in the Virgin Islands and throughout the world as a co-creator of “I Am Queen Mary,” “the groundbreaking monument that confronted the Danish colonial amnesia while commemorating the legacies of resistance of the African people who were brought to the former Danish West Indies,” according to Priscilla Knight.
In 2018, artists Jeannette Ehlers and La Vaughn Belle posed with a piece of their sculpture “I Am Queen Mary.” (Submitted photo)
Belle’s recent installation at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City — The House that Freedom Built — also stirred attention.
La Vaughn Belle’s “The House That Freedoms Built” at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York. (Photo by LaVaughn Belle)
David Knight Jr. will lead the workshop held Feb. 19. His writing and photography have appeared in numerous publications, including ARC Magazine, The Caribbean Review of Books, Caribbean Beat, Caribbean Writer and Forgotten Lands. He is also the cofounding editor of Moko, a regional arts and literature journal based in the British and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The last workshop of the series, held Wednesday, Feb. 26., will be led by Monica Marin, a curator, artist, and educator from (and based in) St. Croix. She is currently the chief territorial curator for the Virgin Islands Libraries and Museums Department.
Artist Oceana James, For Gowie the Deceitful Fellow (Performance), 2016, (Photo by Sarene Brumant. Curated by Monica Marin)
The workshops will be held at the St. John School of the Arts, a five-minute walk from the ferry dock at Cruz Bay. Workshop participants who live on St. Thomas can easily catch the 6 p.m. ferry from Red Hook to attend the series.
The family of the late Yvonne Lawrence Pogson is saddened to announce her passing on Jan. 10.
Yvonne Lawrence Pogson
Yvonne was preceded in death by her mother, Iris Richards Battiste; father, Charles Lawrence; husband, Ronald Pogson Sr.; son, LeVar Pogson; sister, Debbie Lawrence Guadalupe, and brother, Austin Battiste Jr.
Yvonne is survived by her daughters, Sherilyn Pogson, Shermaine Pogson, and Yolanda Pogson; son, Ronald Pogson Jr.; sisters, Lorna Lawrence Johnson, Winifred C. Lawrence Beckles, Veronica Jenkins, Laurel Lawrence, Linda St. Louis, Rena Battiste, Marie Allison Battiste, Yvette Battiste Bermudez, Maureen Battiste; brother, Rhudel Lawrence Sr.; grandchildren, DeShaun Schneider, Yolissa Smith, Jaylen Smith; great-grandchild, DeShaun Schneider Jr.; godson, Ronald Watson; sister-in-law, Lynn Slater Lawrence; brother-in-law, Roy Beckles; nieces, Everlyn Beckles Peters, Barbara Lawrence, Natasha Guadalupe, Monique Jenkins, Keisha Woodley, Lisa Gardener, Cassandra Britton, Iris Battiste; nephews, Rhudel Lawrence Jr., Kenneth Lawrence, Ezekiel Johnson, Eleazar Johnson, Marzell Johnson Jr., George Parrish, Michael Parrish, Vernon Britton, Antonio Bermudez, Wilford Dean Jr., Arturo Guadalupe Jr., Matey Jenkins, Rashid Gardener; special friends, Dean Schneider, Bryan Cornelius; many other great nieces, great nephews, family and friends too numerous to mention.
Funeral Service is scheduled to be on Jan. 24 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Orange Grove. Viewing will begin at 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at the Kingshill Cemetery.
Professional Services Entrusted to Divine Funeral Services & Crematory, 340-773-0003.
The family of the beloved Julia Concepcion-Ramos are saddened to announce her passing on Jan. 2.
Proceeded in death by: Father: Thomas Concepcion; Mother: Hortencia Feliz; Husband: Margaro E. Ramos; Son: Anthonio Encarnacion; Daughter: Hortencia Pugh; She is survived by her Daughter: Generosa E. Centeno; Son(s): Rafael, Emilio Encarnacion,.; Sisters: Lucin Concepcion, Gloria Pemberton; Nieces: Daisy Lindquist-Pelovitz, Lyn Millie-debbie Lindquist, Candita Figueroa Meselina, Melisa Perberton-Rosin Ramos, Carmen Lydia Ventura; Nephew(s): Thomas Concepcion Jr.,Ray Encarnacion, Angel Gomez, Efrain Cintron, Nazario (fox) Navarro; Cousin: Izoraida Schuster; Grand Children:Yolanda and Amado Adams, Anthony Centeno, Johnny Brown Encarnacion, Tracy and Kelly Pugh, Nisha, Zenita, Emilio Jr., Rafael Jr. Encarncion, Lisa and Sean Khadaran; Great Grand Children: Amilja, Amber Adams, Lena and Edwin Cruz, Jazlen Khadaran, Adriana Ana Lise Threat, Ze’leya Lindey, Jayce Meikel Encarnacion, Ken Hayden Barry, Maximiliano, Pugh, A’jhoni, Manuel Jalliza, Shelly, Genesis, Jahzeel Pugh; Special Friends: Ramirez, Felix, Ramos Encarnacion, Navarro, Anna Concepcion, Junnie Concepcion, Ventura Family, Justina, Andre; Son-in-Law: Juan Centeno, David Pugh; Daughter-in-Law: Zena Encarnacion, Elie Rivera; Brother-in Law: Delfin Encarnacion-Ramos; Other Relatives and Friends too numerous to mention.
Family / Friends Viewing: Monday, Jan. 20 @ Kingshill Funeral Home Chapel, Clifton Hill, 303 Kingshill St. Croix., viewing time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 21 @ El Triumpho, 549 Estate Mon Bijou St. Croix, Viewing 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Congresswoman Plaskett released the following statement expressing condolences on the passing of former President of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), Dr. Orville Kean:
“I was saddened to hear of the Dr. Kean’s passing. He is a trailblazer in Virgin Islands education, first as a teacher at his alma mater, the Charlotte Amalie High School, who then continued to hold multiple roles at the College of the Virgin Islands before eventually assuming the presidency in 1990. During his term, UVI saw tremendous growth and development in multiple areas, including the reaccreditation of the university and addition of new degrees, and the conceptualization of UVI’s Research and Technology Park. Dr. Kean’s excellent leadership also was the guiding light for the students, faculty and staff through both Hurricanes Hugo and Marilyn.
“I send my prayers for comfort and peace to his loved ones, family, and friends.”
