The hotel on GERS land is expected to open next year. (Photo from GERS administrator’s report)
More than 2,000 active government employees have taken advantage of the reinstatement of the Government Employees’ Retirement System loan program.
Angel Dawson, administrator of GERS, told his Board of Trustees Thursday that the program’s reinstatement had been a success and that the $10 million limit in each district had been closed in on.
The program was open to active members only. As of Wednesday, 1,033 employees on St. Croix borrowed $9,984,665, and 994 on St. Thomas borrowed $9,691,244. The interest rate for personal loans was 8 percent, and the average amount of loans was $10,000, which was also the amount the loans were capped at.
Trustees Nellon Bowry and Andre Dorsey both reported hearing positive feedback from employees participating in the program.
Since the suspension of loans in 2015, there had been a movement to restart the program. The movement resulted in the Senate passing legislation ordering it to be brought back.
However, the Board of Trustees took no action until after the GERS Rescue Act was passed in 2022 and after it began to have an effect.
Dawson also had positive news about the Hampton by Hilton being built on land in Havensight leased from the GERS. The five-story, 126-room hotel with a visitor welcome center is over half completed and expected to open in 2025.
GERS is not investing in the hotel.
At the public meeting via Zoom and available on YouTube, Dawson said 260 retirees were added to the payroll from October 1, 2023, to July 15. The number of retirees deleted from payroll for the same time period was 30 less—230. The total number of retirees now totals 8,790.
Retirees receive two checks a month.
The gross retiree payroll on July 15 was reported as $11,274,064.86.
The Haitian acoustic band “Strings” plays to a full house at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on St. Thomas, before it was destroyed by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. (Image used with permission)
Exactly one month before my 15th birthday in October 1964, I experienced something that I didn’t realize until very recently informed the next 60 years of my life.
It was music.
I had landed in a hockey stadium that held nearly 5,000 people in Troy, New York, a few miles from where I briefly attended a boarding school.
Harry Belafonte was in the news enough back then that I probably did know who he was when I somehow found my way to a seat high up in the bleachers that night.
I may have even seen him a year earlier on the Ed Sullivan Show — a wildly popular “variety show” as they were called back then that ran on CBS in the same Sunday nighttime slot for 23 years.
But nothing could have prepared me for the soul-piercing pitch of Belafonte live — his beautiful face glistening in a lone spotlight on the otherwise darkened stage — as he sang “Try to Remember,” accompanied by a lone guitar and one backup vocalist. The pin-drop silence that also accompanied his opening song that night makes me think everyone in the audience was holding their breath — as was I — hoping to capture forever those clear, rich, joyful notes.
It seems I have.
I have told that story hundreds of times over the years, never realizing in how many ways the chords struck that autumn evening had been reverberating and inextricably woven into who I was to become.
Last week, in a moment of contemplative clarity, I saw how decisions I had made over the years had been informed by the spirit that had taken up residency in my soul that night.
All art is a gift and crucial to meaningful human existence. But there is nothing that will make me as instantly happy as the first few chords of a familiar song. Often, because of that experience so long ago, the joy is accompanied by memories of the many other live performances I have been graced to attend — all of them because I made the decision to be there thanks to the spark that still fires up that memory and all of the other joys that were built upon that first live performance.
The Reichhold Center for the Arts in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. (Image used with permission)
Scores of those magical musical moments took place for me at the cherished Reichhold Center for the Arts on the St. Thomas campus of the University of the Virgin Islands, which was ravaged by the 2017 hurricanes. This is a list of the world-renowned performers, including not only singers and instrumentalists but also dance companies, orchestras, choirs, poets and writers who graced the stage from 1978 until 2017.
It provides only one side of the history of the gorgeous, acoustically perfect, stone-walled amphitheater that animated and amplified untold numbers of lives as names such as Dizzy Gillespie, Nancy Wilson and Ray Charles — among dozens of others equally famous — raised spirits over nearly decades of once-in-a-lifetime imported performances.
As for the exporting, Reichhold Center for the Arts provided the launching pad from which dozens of Virgin Islands shooting stars began their journeys toward illuminating larger venues across the globe.
The late David Edgecombe, Reichhold director for 12 years and the man who gave birth to STARfest, an annual talent showcase for local youth, prophesied 21 years ago, “With all the talent around here, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of our own making it big.”
There are so many to recall, but there are two Virgin Islanders who won top honors this year, bringing pride to our community and reaching a pinnacle of their long-held dreams.
Theron Thomas, who with his brother Timothy formed the Hip Hop group R. City was named Songwriter of the Year at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Their career was originally launched during a STARfest presentation.
In October, trumpeter Rashawn Ross will be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame along with the other members of the world-renowned Dave Matthews Band. Ross has been with Dave Matthews full-time since 2006. Ross’s journey also crossed the Reichhold stage many times.
The current dream held close in the heart of longtime Reichhold advocate, former technical director and current Director Denise Humphrey is to raise the millions of dollars required to resurrect the theater from the death blows dealt by Irma and Maria, the two back-to-back Category 5 storms that not only wreaked havoc on the physical plant, but also swept away the archive treasury — including the video recordings — that Humphrey had accumulated.
“We lost everything,” she said.
But for many of us the memories hold strong along with the faith that this community will see to it that for generations to come our rising stars will have a place from which to launch their dreams both by inspiration as audience members as well as by real-time experience on the stage at the Reichhold Center for the Arts.
But faith without works is dead.
Accordingly, on Sunday, Aug. 18 the University of the Virgin Islands’ Reichhold Center for the Arts will hold the second annual Blue Horizon Concert featuring four-time Grammy-nominated reggae band UB40.
The outdoor concert will take place at 6 p.m. on the Herman E. Moore Golf Course on the Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas.
The Blue Horizon Concert is a fundraiser. Proceeds will be shared between the Reichhold Center restoration efforts and the Addie Ottley Community Service Scholarship Fund that supports UVI students pursuing studies in communication.
Now in its third year, the musical series was launched in 2022 in tribute to another local legend, Addie Ottley.
Humphrey is juggling various figures to bring the center back to life that range somewhere between $20 and $32 million. Former University of the Virgin Islands President David Hall told senators at a budget hearing that donations of $20 million would be needed over and above federal funding in order to rebuild the center, according to Humphrey.
Ray Charles appeared on the Reichhold stage in the center’s eighth season, in 1986.
With video of that performance destroyed, we are left only to our collective memory.
I choose to believe that he sang this song that night and that it was also — like Edgecombe’s vision — a portent of the future for our once starlit stage … that it will rise from the devastation to make dreams come true again.
Anyone wishing to help give rise to the restoration of the stage that will spawn new memories and spark the next generations of youthful yearnings, please call Denise Humphrey at 340-693-1552 or email reichhold.center@uvi.edu.
The audience getting hyped for a night at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on St. Thomas. (Image used with permission)
On Thursday, the historic Market Square in downtown St. Thomas witnessed the beginning stages of a much-needed transformation.
In a significant step towards revitalizing and beautifying the area, key public figures, community leaders, and government officials gathered in the heart of Market Square for a town hall meeting to address the pressing issues that have long plagued this once-vibrant district.
Sen. Marvin A. Blyden, center, listens as other community leaders address issues surrounding Market Square. (Source photo by Joshua Crawford Barry)
The town hall, led by St. Thomas/Water Island District Interim Island Administrator Kevin Rodriguez, was a collaborative effort that brought together representatives from various government agencies, local businesses, and community stakeholders. The meeting underscored the collective resolve to restore Market Square to its former glory, making it not only a hub of commerce but also a welcoming space for both locals and tourists.
Rodriguez opened the discussion by highlighting the need for a unified approach, emphasizing that the revitalization of Market Square would require the involvement of everyone in the community. He noted that the square had deteriorated over the years, with shuttered buildings and unsanitary conditions becoming the norm. However, with renewed interest and a series of new initiatives, the square is poised for a renaissance.
One of the primary issues discussed during the town hall was waste management. The Virgin Islands law mandates that businesses are responsible for their waste disposal and are prohibited from using public receptacles for commercial trash. Enforcement of this law, along with public education on proper waste disposal, were key focus areas, with officials from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs pledging their support to ensure compliance.
In addition to waste management, the town hall addressed the issue of safety and security in Market Square. Chief Steven Phillips of the Virgin Islands Police Department detailed the measures being taken to enhance security, including the installation of new cameras and the deployment of drones for surveillance.
Eloi George, a longtime resident, speaks up about changing the bungalow to accommodate vendors better. (Source photo by Joshua Crawford Barry)
The town hall also featured input from Eloi George, a long-time resident and property owner in the area. George spoke candidly about the challenges faced by building owners, including the difficulty of attracting tenants due to the area’s declining reputation. He urged the community to consider bold, extraordinary measures to reconfigure the space, making it more functional and appealing for modern vendors and businesses.
“Today’s meeting is just the beginning,” remarked a representative from the Department of Human Services. “We are excited to be part of a holistic approach to addressing these issues, and we stand ready to assist in any way we can.”
The Department of Human Services discussed efforts to address the needs of the homeless population in the area, as well as continued collaboration with business owners and local agencies to ensure the success of the revitalization efforts.
Market Square has long been a symbol of the cultural and economic vitality in St. Thomas. With the combined efforts of the community, government, and local businesses. The hope is that one day it will again become a thriving center of activity for local vendors and consumers alike.
V.I. Creative Adam O accepts award and gives speech. (Photo courtesy Kickin It)
On a night filled with celebration, Kickin It held its inaugural gala, ‘Toast,’ which brought together Virgin Islands culture, creativity, and community. A highlight of the evening was a deeply moving speech from Trailblazer honoree Adam O, the organization announced.
Adam O, a beloved figure in the Virgin Islands music scene, has enchanted audiences from around the world with his unique blend of soca, kompa, zouk, and R&B. The singer-songwriter and former Marine Corps veteran touched hearts as he accepted his award, stating, “Being from the Virgin Islands, being a creative from the Virgin Islands, being anything whether it’s music to art, we don’t really get the support as a doctor, a lawyer, or a basketball player. That’s just real. Because people don’t understand what we do and it really boils down one word, that is support. That’s all we really need.”
Giving an account of his upbringing, Adam humors the audience, explaining, “You know I grew up in Virgin Gorda. I is a O’neal boy. So this ain’t just a Crucian coming over here to get an award. I have my belonger’s card.”
He then expressed his gratitude to Kickin It and Founder Kyra, for the continued support and recognition given, stating the award was the first that he has received being an artist and meant more than any other award given. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I don’t think you know what it is you did tonight,” Adam expressed.
Kickin It Honors is a testament to the organization’s commitment to uplifting and empowering Virgin Islands creatives. Additional Honorees included Visual Artist Jannet Prosper and Creative Director and Stylist Travie Rozae. By honoring homegrown creatives alongside honoree Adam O, Kickin It aims to inspire and encourage the next generation of Virgin Islands’ talent, the release stated.
CALL FOR PAPERS: 8th Caribbean Symposium on Genealogy and History
The Anguilla Genealogical Society and the Anguilla Archaeological & Historical Society invite you to submit an abstract of a paper for presentation at the 8th Caribbean Symposium on Genealogy and History to be held on Oct. 12-13 in Anguilla, British Caribbean.
The Symposium’s theme, “Diaspora: Journeys, Research, and Reparations,” encompasses the multifaceted experiences of persons dispersed from their homelands. In the Caribbean context, diaspora can be considered both in terms of the peoples “from whence we came,” be it Africa, Europe, Asia, or elsewhere, and the people born out of Caribbean ancestry who have settled elsewhere.
Back to School – Visit CGL’s Teach VI History Resource
On CGL’s TeachVIHistory.com there is a collection of classroom activities related to U.S. Virgin Islands history. The activities are built around digitized primary sources from archives, libraries, and museum collections about the Danish West Indies and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each activity includes brief background information, suggested teaching instructions, primary source analysis tools and discussion prompts. The activities encourage a research-based, conversational approach to exploring the U.S. Virgin Islands’ history.
Please visit the website and share it with teachers, youth group coordinators, and students. Visit TeachVIHistory.com.
Administrator of Courts Regina deChabert Petersen (Photo courtesy V.I. Justice Department)
Administrator of Courts Regina deChabert Petersen commences her term as President of the Conference of State Court Administrators, Chief Justice Rhys S. Hodge announced.
The Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) is a national forum consisting of the administrator or equivalent official in each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, and is dedicated to the improvement of state court systems, according to the press release.
The Conference of State Court Administrators works closely with the Conference of Chief Justices, and both conferences, with the support of the National Center for State Courts, work collaboratively to improve the administration of justice in local courts throughout our nation, the press release stated.
Administrator Petersen is the first Court Administrator from a U.S. Territory to serve as President of the Conference of State Court Administrators and assumes this new role in addition to her duties as the Administrator of Courts of the Judicial Branch of the U. S. Virgin Islands, the release stated.
A graduate of DePauw University and Notre Dame School of Law, Administrator Petersen has been a dedicated public servant in the Virgin Islands for 26 years, with nearly half of her professional career dedicated to improvements in the Judicial Branch. No stranger to organizational change, consensus building, and process reform, she looks forward to a productive term as COSCA President, not just for the opportunity to lead on national objectives but for the continued positive impact of many national initiatives and reforms on our court system and justice system partnerships, it said.
Progress is being made on the First Avenue Drainage Project on St. Thomas, the Public Works Department announced.
DPW contractor – Island Roads Corp. – is currently working on the drainage crossings and catch pits located between 6th and 7th Street (WorkZone4).
Starting Monday, Aug. 12, there will be a full road closure between 5th and 6th Street (WorkZone5). Vehicles traveling on 5th Street will be allowed to exit right onto First Avenue. To access 6th Street, vehicles will be allowed to travel from 7th Street onto First Avenue and then take a right onto 6th Street.
All parked and abandoned vehicles must be removed from the roadsides to ensure roadwork can continue as scheduled.
The family of Michael Jermaine Edwards Jr., A/K/A “Pappy” of Estate Hope, Frederiksted, is saddened to announce his passing on July 27, 2024. He was 25 years old.
He is survived by his Companion: Rekiera Corneiro; Mother: Indera Edwards; Father: Michael Edwards, Sr.; Son: Me’Kai J. Edwards; Grandfather: Rudy Rivera; Grandmother: Cora Edwards; Sisters: Keyona Edwards and Keira Edwards; Nieces: Kali Wilson; Aunts: Marsha, Maritza, Judy, Sonia, Sheryl, and Denise; Uncles: Padget, Leroy, Dove, Melvin “Trampet” Lando, and Clarence; Godparents: Sakina Rauf, and Diana Heywood; Godson: Shamaul Carrington, Jr.; Special Friends: Kysian, Jahseem, Qwageem, Makonne, Mikey, Jose “Bucky”, Elston “EJ” Luz, Nhaquifa, Blanca, Jeaneique, Andysha, Amyah, Joey, Aquan, Lamar, John “Briscoe”, Miguel, Jamari, Jahmile, and Ajani; Cousin and Other Relatives: Tinisha, Linnicea, Tamika, Malcolm, Michaela, Jared, Shamaul, Zahked, Destinni, Orlando, Kenesha, Kenya, Kiana, Sheneba, Davente, Cory, Kenya, J. Kenneth, Vitanya, Jeaneique, Jaquoy, and Jerimiah; Other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
Funeral service will take place on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at Central Seventh Day Adventist Church, viewing at 9:30 am, with service beginning at 10:00 am. A private cremation will follow.
The U.S. Virgin Islands recently received a grant of $521,109 from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority announced.
The EDB, the lending arm of the VIEDA, will utilize consultants to conduct one-on-one counseling sessions with very small and underserved businesses in the territory to assess their needs, develop action plans, and provide specialized technical assistance services, the press release stated.
Such services include legal, accounting, or financial advisory consultations for qualifying small businesses that can assist with their readiness when applying for funding offered through participating SSBCI lenders to enhance their daily operations, the release stated.
These technical services will be offered at no cost and the official start date will be announced later, it said.
New and transfer students enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands will receive a warm welcome as faculty and staff on both campuses prepare for the start of the 2024 Fall Semester. Events will take place both on and off campus, the university announced.
On the Orville E. Kean Campus, there will be two orientation sessions held in the Elridge W. Blake Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas. The first session, designed for students from St. Thomas and St. John, will take place on Saturday, and the second session for all students will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Both sessions run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the press release.
On the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix, welcome activities will be held on Thursday, Aug. 15, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Northwest Wing Great Hall. Orientation continues the following day, including move-in for new and transfer students at 8:30 a.m., the press release stated.
Camille McKayle, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, recommends that new students explore every resource available during the day’s activities, including Student Affairs offices, the Dean’s Office, Counseling and Career Services, Residence Life, Student Life, and Health Services, the release stated.
“Welcoming our new and transfer students to campus is one of the highlights of the academic cycle. It is a unique opportunity to give them a hearty Buccaneer welcome while introducing them to the diversity of opportunities available at UVI and begin to get them acclimated to campus life,” said McKayle.
In addition to campus tours, students will be introduced to many essential resources such as the computer lab and library, Health Services, residence halls, and Information Technology. Additional activities include lunch on campus and presentations about campus security, connecting to financial aid and enrollment resources, clubs and organizations. A portion of the time will be devoted to faculty advisement, course selection, enrollment and financial aid matters, according to the release.
On the Orville E. Kean Campus, the New Student Convocation will take place on Thursday, Aug. 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. On the Albert A. Sheen Campus, the New Student Convocation will take place on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 3:45 to 5 p.m. Convocation is a formal ceremony welcoming new students to the University, it said.
Throughout orientation week, there are several activities planned to include island tours, hiking, and other recreational events designed to welcome students, provide social opportunities, and help students adjust to campus life. For details and updates on planned events, visit https://orientation.uvi.edu or https://www.uvi.edu.
“On behalf of the Division of Student Affairs, I extend a warm welcome to all our new and transfer students. We want them to know that we are here to support them every step of the way and are confident that they will find UVI a place where they can grow, learn, and achieve their goals,” said Leslyn Tonge, dean of students on the Orville E. Kean Campus.
Classes begin on both UVI campuses on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, the release stated.
