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St. Croix Abattoir Operational, Funding Coming for Animal Shelter, Ag Head Says

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St. Croix Abattoir Operational, Funding Coming for Animal Shelter, Ag Head Says
Agriculture Commissioner Louis Petersen Jr. sought to dispel rumors at a Senate hearing Wednesday. (Screenshot from V.I. Legislature Facebook live stream)

Virgin Islands Agriculture Commissioner Louis Petersen Jr. sought to set the record straight at a meeting of the Senate’s Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture Wednesday about a St. Croix animal shelter and abattoir services in both districts.

Contrary to widespread rumors and some published reports, the department plans to partner with the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center as it had in previous years, Petersen said. Contracts between the department and the shelter were submitted but are awaiting approval of the 2025 budget before being finalized.

Petersen said Agriculture had reached out to the shelter Aug. 6.

“We were proactive in executing a new contract. So we ask from them all their support documents to prepare the contract and put numbers in there — but not being sure if those numbers were accurate until the budget bill is passed,” he told the Senate.

Another misconception Petersen tried to clarify was the state of the territory’s slaughterhouses.

The St. Croix abattoir was repaired, approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is now operational. The boiler and other repairs were complete, he said. The only element left to do was receive and install a new hoist. Currently, the abattoir is only processing pigs, he said.

“Otherwise everything else has been accomplished that we’d planned to get accomplished,” Petersen said. “For the past two weeks, we’ve been servicing farmers, especially pig farmers who have need for slaughter.”

The half-century-old slaughterhouse had been closed for at least six months, Petersen told the Source in an interview Tuesday before the hearing.

“Because of the age, there has been a constant need for maintenance and repair of everything — we got to the point where the repairs weren’t good anymore,” Petersen said.

Federal regulations require an abattoir to be a hygienic facility, not unlike a hospital, free from roof leaks and pipe corrosion. The boiler, used to sterilize equipment, is essential for the operations, he said.

Having the abattoir offline had a serious impact on the community as a whole, Abattoir Director Curleen Rogers added in an interview with the Source Tuesday. Rogers said she
envisions a future where a dedicated maintenance crew provides ongoing preventative care for the facility.

“It would be wonderful,” she said, “and it would have a positive impact on us right now.” Currently, the team is composed of a director, a quality control officer, a sanitation manager, a laborer, and three butchers, one of whom was hired recently. Many of the staff have been with the abattoir for years and are approaching retirement, prompting the need to look toward expanding the team in the near future.

The facility processes a variety of livestock, including cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. On a monthly basis, they handle five to eight cattle, 30 to 40 sheep, and a similar number of pigs, with goats being processed less frequently. However, the volume of animals brought to the abattoir fluctuates, largely due to the farmers’ breeding cycles. “When the abattoir is down, it takes a while for farmers to start breeding again,” Rogers explained. This cyclical nature affects the flow of animals, making consistent operation crucial for both farmers and the facility.

Looking ahead, Rogers said she hopes to hire more butchers and bring in new equipment, which would allow the facility to increase its capacity and meet the needs of local farmers more effectively. “The more people we have, the more we can do,” she said, emphasizing the potential for growth and improvement at the abattoir.

Meanwhile, on St. Thomas, a plan to set up a mobile abattoir should not be mistaken for a temporary facility, Petersen said during Wednesday’s Senate hearing. Many places on the mainland only use mobile abattoirs, he said.

While the ultimate goal was to have a brick-and-mortar facility, he’d been recently convinced the aged Nadir plant was beyond repair and did not conform with existing building codes. The plan was to demolish the building and purchase the mobile unit in 2025.

The committee also approved a bill that would create an annual U.S. Virgin Islands Beer, Wine, and Spirits Festival. Although many senators agreed the bill needed a lot of work, they sent it to the Rules and Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

— Ananta Pancham contributed to this story.

PFA Issues RFP for STJ Projects Amid Dispute Over $137M Disaster Recovery Contract

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PFA Issues RFP for STJ Projects Amid Dispute Over $137M Disaster Recovery Contract

The V.I. Public Finance Authority’s Office of Disaster Recovery is pushing ahead with the “Rebuild USVI” initiative, issuing a bid package this week for three projects on St. John while it fights a lawsuit that claims its recent award of a $137 million contract to oversee the territory’s disaster recovery work violated federal procurement regulations and conflict of interest rules.

The PFA rejected those claims and last week filed a motion to dismiss the suit by Hill International, which is seeking a temporary restraining order to stay the three-year contract that was awarded to CH2M until the matter is settled. The PFA has also filed a motion for a protective order and is seeking leave to file documents under seal in the Hill complaint, claiming it needs to protect “source selection information, confidential and proprietary trade secret information, and/or any other competitively sensitive information.”

According to the complaint, the enormous disparity between Hill’s bid of just over $30 million to oversee some $16.7 billion in disaster recovery work and CH2M’s bid of $137 million “is so great as to make the award to CH2M arbitrary and capricious,” especially since the evaluation committee scored Hill highest of all as to “cost effectiveness” and second-highest overall of the nine participating bidders.

Moreover, the committee that evaluated the bids included three officials from the Public Works Department, where CH2M’s corporate parent, Jacobs Solutions Inc., has employees embedded, Hill alleges in a 30-page brief filed Sept. 26.

Additionally, the PFA lacked the statutory authority to award the contract at all, which under Virgin Islands Rules and Regulations is the sole purview of the Property and Procurement Department, according to Hill’s brief.

The scope of work includes project and construction management for the rebuilding of schools, office buildings, roads, drainage systems, essential services facilities, hospitals and other infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed by the twin Category 5 hurricanes of 2017.

The money for the territory’s reconstruction is mostly a mix of Federal Emergency Management Agency grants and Community Development Block Grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In January, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced the Rebuild USVI initiative to expedite the recovery by consolidating the work under a “Super Project Management Office,” hence the contract that is now in dispute.

The PFA has denied the allegations, saying it chose the company that represented the best value for the territory, not the lowest price, and that Hill did not meet all the technical requirements. It has also vociferously denied the conflict-of-interest claims, and said delaying the work will risk missing the deadline to spend the federal relief dollars within 10 years.

Among other arguments in its motion calling for the case to be dismissed with prejudice (meaning it may not be brought again), the PFA defended its right to solicit and award contracts as a public corporation and “autonomous governmental instrumentality,” just like the West Indian Company Ltd. and the V.I. Housing Authority.

Moreover, “Hill did not object to the issuance of the RFP by VIPFA through a pre-award bid protest or submit a question or concern to the RFP asking VIPFA to relinquish its contract authority to DPP,” and only raised concerns after it lost the job to CH2M, the motion states.

“Even if Hill was injured by the award of the contract to another company, Hill never alleges, let alone demonstrates, a causal link between this outcome and the fact that VIPFA, instead of DPP, was the procuring authority. In other words, Plaintiff failed to allege that the outcome would have been different if DPP had been the procuring agency,” it says.

On Monday, the PFA’s Office of Disaster Recovery released a solicitation for the third bundle of projects under the Rebuild USVI initiative, for the Myrah Keating Community Health Center, Morris deCastro Health Clinic, and the first preK-12 school on St. John.

“Since the Governor’s announcement during his 2024 State of the Territory address, which highlighted the need for a more innovative approach to expedite the timeline for the recovery’s massive reconstruction effort, the ODR has prioritized the release of two other bundles — for healthcare facilities on St. Croix and educational facilities on St. Thomas as well as project and construction management services to support” the Super Project Management Office staff, the release announcing the St. John Request for Proposal stated.

The latter contract — for project and construction management services — is the one awarded to CH2M in August.

Still to come is a solicitation for “the horizontal bundle for Northside Road on St. Croix, incorporating water, sewer, and powerline undergrounding systems as well as post-construction roadway repair and drainage improvements,” the release stated.

Contractors interested in bidding on the St. John bundle —  RFP 008-2024 — must attend a virtual pre-bid conference on Oct. 16 and participate in mandatory site visits on Oct. 23, it said. Details are provided in the bid package, which is available by request via email to procurements@usvipfa.com.

Brief: Accused Gunman in St. Thomas Murder-for-Hire Case Asks Court for New Lawyer

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Brief: Accused Gunman in St. Thomas Murder-for-Hire Case Asks Court for New Lawyer
Monday’s pretrial hearing was the first for Quasheem Christian since his arraignment. (Source file photo)

With jury selection set to begin soon in Superior Court, the defendant in a St. Thomas murder case has asked for a new lawyer. The judge assigned to the case of People of the Virgin Islands vs. Quasheem Christian is still thinking it over, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Christian, a St. Croix utility worker, is accused of fatally shooting tow truck driver Chandler Heath along a roadway near Bolongo Bay on Jan. 29, 2023. He was arrested on St. Croix on Dec. 6 of that year.

Police investigators accuse him of carrying out an execution-style killing and discussing the matter after the fact on social media.

The defendant appeared virtually at a hearing held Monday from the John Bell Adult Correctional Facility in the St. Thomas courtroom of Superior Court Judge Sigrid Tejo. It was Christian’s first pre-trial hearing since he entered a not-guilty plea at arraignment on Jan. 19.

The Oct. 7 hearing was his second try for legal representation. His lawyer’s failure to appear at a prior hearing set for Aug. 26 led to a postponement. Jury selection for a criminal trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 28.

Charges include first- and second-degree murder and three counts of possessing an unlicensed firearm.

It took members of the V.I. Police Department Major Crime Unit several days to track down Heath’s accused killer. He was arrested during a traffic stop in Estate Mountain, St. Croix, while on the job as a lineman for the Water and Power Authority.

“This arrest really shows the communication between the islands (St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John), considering that the incident occurred on St. Thomas and the arrest was made on St. Croix,” said St. Croix District Police Chief Sean Santos in a statement issued after Christian’s arrest.

“Some folks might question the tactics officers used but based on the severity of the warrant (being a murder warrant), the officers exercised caution. Everyone is aware of the climate that we are in, where officers are being challenged more by way of violence, so the officers addressed it appropriately,” he further stated.

Persistence, Justice and Friends Help Revive a Plan to Promote Sustainable Building Materials

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Persistence, Justice and Friends Help Revive a Plan to Promote Sustainable Building Materials
A plan to promote sustainable roofing in the V.I. was sidetracked by fraud, but now, the promoter says, it is being re-envisioned. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

A seven-year vision to improve life for people on St. Thomas still lives for a former resident whose efforts met with setbacks and a long-awaited recovery. Kimberly Shumaker credits the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for helping her recover charitable contributions once earmarked for hurricane relief.

Shumaker, a former bartender at Frenchman’s Reef Resort, said she recently received an $8,500 restitution check from the U.S. government. The payment was recovered from a judgment arising from the conviction and sentencing of Alexandra Smyth on March 14. Smyth, at the time, was the founder of Perfect Balance Accounting Services, LLC and Perfect Heart, Inc. — described as a multipurpose nonprofit organization founded in 2018.

But it wasn’t long before some customers and business partners discovered the funds they trusted to the two enterprises were being channeled into Smyth’s private bank account. Disgruntled by revelations of fraud, Shumaker and others mounted a social media campaign to recruit like-minded victims.

Shumaker said it was hard at times to believe that justice — including restitution — would come through. Almost seven years had passed, and she’d moved away from the V.I. “There were times when I was like, ‘How much longer can I continue to ring alarm bells and let people know what was going on?’” she said.

Months of efforts produced results: complaints filed with law enforcement led to an indictment and Smyth’s guilty plea on Sept. 20, 2023. At sentencing, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution.

A source at the federal prosecutor’s office who asked not to be named said restitution is a routine judgment ordered as part of sentencing in criminal cases. “… [P]articularly restitution for fraud cases as part of the sentence if the judge finds you guilty. The judge might order them to pay back,” the source said.

But, they said, the effort to repay victims doesn’t stop there. It’s up to the U.S. Justice Department’s Financial Litigation Unit to enforce the judgment. “Our job is to try and collect that money; we have to demonstrate the loss to the victim. The money goes to the court, and the court issues a check,” they said.

The check came through on Sept. 27, Shumaker said. By then, the territory was still recovering from the wreckage of hurricanes Irma and Maria. Like Shumaker, many uninsured homeowners were still waiting to be made whole in 2024.

Progress appeared for them with help from the Office of Disaster Recovery. By late September, repairs for 35 homes were completed, 47 more had repairs underway and 40 more were approved for reconstruction.

But by then, and with restitution in hand, Shumaker said she’d hit on a new idea. “When the hurricane started I knew I wanted to do something. The first idea was to help hurricane survivors living under tarps by providing sustainable roofing; the original idea was to spread sustainable building practices in the Caribbean.”

Now, she said, the funds will support the longstanding effort of a friend to improve a public park in Estate Frydenhoj. St. Thomas musician Jon Gazi described a plan to revitalize the Ezra Fredericks Ballpark. Gazi said the idea of creating a skate park for St. Thomas youth began more than 20 years ago when he was still in high school.

Now, he said, “it’s happening. We’re community-funded; we reached out to local companies and individuals to raise funds to build the park. We’ve raised about a million dollars between materials, contributions and funds, and one of the people who got wind of that was Kimberly, who’s this old friend of mine — one of the many who used to play all the time. One of the venues we used to play at when she was working on island,” he said.

Local companies and community members are raising funds to build a skate and bike park. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

“She was raising funds to repurpose the roofs after the storm, and she learned about the skate and bike park, so she reached out to see what she could do,” Gazi said.

Roofing made from recycled materials — the original concept — will now be used to provide cover for the fields’ repurposed bullpens as a place where children and families can sit and relax in a covered area, Shumaker said.

“A community park benefits an entire public and the entire island,” she said.

Book Reading of ‘Anna and the Goat Foot Woman’ at CMCARTS Saturday

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Book Reading of ‘Anna and the Goat Foot Woman’ at CMCARTS Saturday
Co-authors Angela Golden Bryan (right) and her daughter Erin Shae Bryan (Source photo by Elisa McKay)

Everyone loves hearing a story read aloud, especially children. Saturday at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts in downtown Frederiksted, co-authors Angela Golden Bryan and her daughter Erin Shae Bryan will bring their book to life in a reading from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

This will be the third in a series of book signings on St. Croix: Oct. 2 at Botanical Gardens and Oct. 3 at Undercover Bookstore in Gallows Bay introduced the authors and their book to a wide audience of children and adults. This third and final book reading and signing will give the community the opportunity to hear the book read in its entirety. Don’t miss it! Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend and bring their children. 

Attendees at book signing at Undercover Books & Gifts (Source photo by Elisa McKay)

 

Saturday’s format at CMCARTS is a “Little Artists” class, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., with children’s imagination, artistic exploration, and pure fun for ages two to seven. It is designed to be an enriching afternoon of FREE arts and crafts activities that includes the reading of “Anna and the Goat Foot Woman.”

Erin Shae Bryan and Angels Ginden Bryan read excerpts from “Anna and the Goat Foot Woman.” (Source photo by Elisa McKay)

Children will have the opportunity to visit the Upstairs Gallery with the CMCARTS Education Coordinator Jessica Parker White and explore the Permanent Art Collection dedicated to the museum’s founder, Candia Atwater.

Angela Golden Bryan signs the book for a customer. (Source photo by Elisa McKay)

Art stations will be set up in the Courtyard for the Little Artists. Parents and guardians are invited to register online at cmcarts.org and reserve a spot for their young artists. The entrance to the museum is on Strand Street in the blue building. 

For more information and to register:
www.cmcarts.org
Call: 340-772-2622

Arlene Bailey Dies at 86

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Arlene Bailey Dies at 86

ARLENE BAILEY, of Frederiksted St. Croix, passed away on Monday, September 23rd, 2024. She was 86 years old.

Mrs. Bailey was preceded in death by her spouse, Norman Bailey, Jr., mother, Edith Simpson Davis, father, Leroy Franz Arnold.

She is survived by her daughters, Lorilei Plaskett and Riisa Bailey; sons, Micheal & Ira-David Plaskett, Robert & Orthan  and Neil Bailey; grandchildren, Jose Perez III, Luis Perez, Cheanun Perez, Sheanne Rivera, Kandyia Rivera, Nykiia A. Barnes, Khalid Bailey, Nequan Benjamin, Craig Daley, Jr., Tyra Plaskett, Xavier Plaskett, Micheal Plaskett, Jr., Shekina Plaskett, Christopher Plaskett, Lashonda Moore Plaskett, Ketura Acevedo, Diedra Coleman, Melissa Finney, Robert Bailey Jr. Shaquille Bailey, Shaquilla Bailey, Chevalia Bailey, Jamine Bailey, Amonisha Bailey, Kyla Bailey, Amara Bailey, Jaylen Bailey, Brandon Brooks, Rayelle Bailey, Amare Bailey and Alyissa Bailey; great-grandchildren, Aalliyah Alexander, Alande Alexander, Zyon McIntosh, Kelis Perez, Kelijah Perez, Ari’Yanna Perez, Aliyah Perez, Adaizalyn Perez, N’Sheayla Rivera, N’shyla Rivera, Sheanne K. Rivera, Kiari Harris, Azari N. Frazer, N’Kosi King, Kamilah Innis, Amare Bailey, J’Allyn Baron, Edward Ragas IV, Chase Randall, Jewel Plaskett, Darius Plaskett and Donavan Plaskett; daughters-in-law; Lavoyne Bailey, Pamela Plaskett, and Rachel Bailey; son-in-law, Kareem Parris; sister, Theresa Davis; brothers, Orin Arnold, Paul Arnold and Roy Davis; A host of nieces, nephews, family and friends too numerous to mention.

A Memorial service will be held on Friday, October 18th, 2024, at the Holy Trinity Church in Frederiksted at 10:00 am. Repast will be at the Blue Bamboo (old Driving) immediately following.

Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Schuster’s Crematorium, LLC.

VITRAN: Fixed-Route Services Suspended on Oct. 14

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VITRAN’s fixed-route services will be suspended territory-wide on Monday, Oct. 14, in observation of Virgin Islands – Puerto Rico Friendship Day.

ADA/Paratransit services will be available during the following hours:

St. Croix – 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

St. Thomas – 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

St. John – No ADA/Paratransit Services

St. Thomas Man Demands Money Back, Injures Woman in Intoxicated Rage

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St. Thomas Man Demands Money Back, Injures Woman in Intoxicated Rage

A St. Thomas man surrendered to the police on Tuesday after being accused of assaulting a woman while demanding back money he had given her for groceries, the V.I. Police Department reported.

The victim reported that on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at about 10:00 p.m., Beeri de la Cruz arrived home intoxicated and began demanding the $19.00 that he had given her for groceries. The victim stated that de la Cruz pushed her, slammed her head against the floor, and kicked her in the ribs several times, causing multiple injuries to her body, according to the police report.

On Tuesday, de la Cruz, 37, agreed to turn himself in to the Domestic Violence Unit. He declined to provide a statement; therefore, he was booked, processed, and turned over to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advice of rights hearing, the police report stated.

This case is currently under investigation by the Domestic Violence Unit. Anyone who has
information about this crime can notify 911, the Domestic Violence Unit at 340-715-5535,
or the Office of the Police Chief.

St. Croix Man Charged with Multiple Counts of Domestic Abuse

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St. Croix Man Charged with Multiple Counts of Domestic Abuse

Police officers arrested a St. Croix man for allegedly assaulting a female victim with his hands, a broomstick, and a cell phone, the V.I. Police Department reported.

A domestic violence investigation was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau Tuesday, which disclosed that the complainant reported that on Oct. 6, she was assaulted by Javier Rodriguez at her home, according to the police report.

She stated that Rodriguez made false accusations against her and then began hitting her on the head and face, as well as slapping her. Rodriguez then proceeded to assault her multiple times with a broomstick and a cell phone. He also placed both his hands around her throat, squeezing it until she gasped for air and threatened to kill her. The victim complained of pain in her throat, face, and the back and right side of her neck, the police report stated.

Members of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, along with members of the Special Operations Bureau, arrested Rodriguez, 42, at his home. He was charged with assault in the second degree (DV), simple assault and battery (DV), and disturbing the peace (fighting), the report stated.

He was booked, and no bail was set in this matter as per the Domestic Violence statute. He was subsequently transported to the John Bell Correctional Facility pending his advice of rights hearing, it said.

Cyclists Gearing Up for America’s Paradise Challenge on Sunday on STX

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Cyclists Gearing Up for America’s Paradise Challenge on Sunday on STX

St. Croix is set to host the largest bike race in the Virgin Islands, the America’s Paradise Challenge, on Sunday, the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation announced.

This “race like no other” will feature seven racing categories with varying distances, starting and finishing at DC Canegata Ballpark near Gallows Bay at 7 a.m., the organization said.

The seven categories are: Elite men, 55 miles; elite women, 45 miles; sport, 25 miles; masters, 25 miles; women, 25 miles; and juniors, 15 miles. Entry is $50, $35 for VICF members, and $10 for juniors.

The VICF “is thrilled to welcome competitive cyclists from St. Thomas, Tortola, and Guadeloupe to participate in the second annual event,” the release stated.

Once again, the St. Croix community has come together to sponsor and support the race, making it a premier event, the VICF stated. Sponsors include Bates Trucking, Diageo USVI, Napa Auto Parts, Flemings Transport, Carlos Furniture, Paradise Freight, Island Life Adventures, Sen. Kurt Vialet, Leatherback Brewing Co, Clifford Joseph, VIPD, the Public Works and Sports, Parks and Recreation departments, and the Office of the Governor.

Participants are encouraged to pre-register at Leatherback Brewing Co. on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. Race-day registration will be available at Canegata Ballpark on Sunday between 6 and 6:45 a.m.

For more information, contact 340-513-2707.

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