The acting head of the Sports, Parks, and Recreation Department (DSPR) made his first appearance before lawmakers Friday in a hearing held on St. John. The 36th Legislature Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports, and Parks also received updates on services and programs from officials from the Virgin Islands Human Services Department.
Acting Commissioner Vincent Roberts’ leadership began in early January after the resignation of his predecessor, Calvert White. On Friday, Roberts fielded questions about the status of disaster recovery projects, recreation and revenue-generating activities.
“This is my first time testifying,” Roberts said.
Human Services Commissioner Averil George and her team of administrators updated lawmakers about St. John’s newly built Head Start early learning center, programs, and activities for families and senior citizens. They also answered questions about the island’s disaster preparedness.
Among the recovery projects yet to come are the restoration of the Oppenheimer Beach Center on St. John’s North Shore and construction of the Sports Parks Community Center. Committee members were also eager to hear about the start of operations at the early learning center in Contant-Enighed.
George said the Head Start facility on St. John was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 6. Designed to serve 20 children, the new center includes a modernized classroom, kitchen, and playground. Officials said more than a dozen families have signed up so far. Human Services personnel are taking applications for staff – one teacher, a teaching assistant, and a food service worker.
Roberts spoke about the popularity of the V.I. National Park’s recreation center, the Orville Brown Basketball Court in Pine Peace and the tennis-pickleball court near Enighed Pond.
The St. John Recreation Center and Winston Wells Park are in the architectural and engineering phase, Roberts said. Modular classrooms still occupy the field at Wells Park adjacent to the storm-damaged Julius E. Sprauve School, but Sen. Angel Bolques Jr., who chairs the committee, said there will come a day when the park is returned to public recreation use.
Committee member Avery Lewis said he was looking forward to the redevelopment of Oppenheimer. The acting commissioner agreed. “Oppenheimer has the potential to be the biggest moneymaker for the department,” Roberts said.
Bolques expressed concern about the shrinking shoreline caused by sea level rise that threatens to inundate the community center.
He asked testifiers whether the building should be moved further inland. Oppenheimer was once the agency’s only revenue-producing entity on St. John, he said.
Roberts said the vendor plaza occupies Franklin Powell Park in Cruz Bay now. Under the agency plan, vendors are allowed to set up in the park four times a year and pay fees for their spaces.
Committee member Novelle Francis asked when DSPR would find another space where vendors could operate. He expressed concern that those who would like to enjoy the park’s ambience are crowded out by vendor tents that overwhelm the space.
Roberts said he was not inclined to move them because of the revenue generated there. The acting commissioner mentioned that some of his agency’s St. John facilities, while popular, are operating at a loss.
That also goes for the summer youth recreation center. Up to 40 children of various ages fill the modest space next to the Human Services Multipurpose Center in Cruz Bay. Parents pay $150 for a summer’s worth of activities — less if enrolling more than one child.
The DSPR commissioner also pointed to his agency’s efforts to attract, train and hire lifeguards as a loss leader. The agency offers a salary of $40,000 for lifeguards but has seen several trainees leave the territory shortly after achieving certification.
The same space — once dubbed the St. John Youth Action Center — also hosts senior citizens from St. Ursula’s Church who participate in the Fit and Feisty Circle in the off-summer months.
Those seniors and those attending the Human Services Senior Center at Estate Adrian also receive nutrition service as part of the island’s Meals on Wheels program. About 35 home-bound seniors receive home deliveries of a daily hot meal.
Lawmakers heard there are currently six persons on St. John’s waiting list for Meals on Wheels. “Every day, we get calls,” said Human Services Assistant Commissioner Sean Georges.
Adrian Center — restored from storm damage and reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic — remains a hub for senior engagement, offering social activities, wellness programs, and daily meals. The center is also St. John’s designated hurricane evacuation shelter.
The commissioner added that the Head Start Center could also provide shelter from natural disasters in Cruz Bay. When asked how well the designated shelter has performed. “What will happen if you have a storm or a natural disaster, because Adrian Center also serves as a disaster shelter,” said Sen. Carla Joseph.
“We haven’t been tested at Adrian yet,” said Adrian Center Project Director Abigail Hendricks. For more than a decade, Hendricks has worked with seniors through Human Services.
Both she and George expressed confidence that with help from the vulnerable person’s registry, they can identify and contact every St. John senior to direct them in case of disaster. The registry was created through passage of a bill sponsored by Sen. Dwayne DeGraff and is managed jointly by Human Services and the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency — VITEMA.
