Commentary

I read with interest the other day in the V.I. Source where Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources was explaining to a meeting of the League of Women Voters a possible plan to establish a transient mooring system within the Magens Bay Beach ecosystem. He talked about the charter boat industry and its importance to our islands’ economy.

Sen. Samuel Carrion declares victory for legislation to expand free UVI tuition to part-time students.

Senator-At-Large Angel L. Bolques attended SeaTrade24 and expresses the importance of Maritime Scholarship Bill 35-0133: A New Era for Virgin Islanders in the Maritime Industry.

Kindly print my lament to Liberty V.I. and the rest of the Virgin Islands subscribers who are paying monthly bills (three to four months now) and receiving virtually no service.

Senator-At-Large Angel Bolques Jr. is exploring the Eaton Arecibo Micro Grid in Puerto Rico, networking and paving the way for clean energy solutions in the Virgin Islands.

Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff denounces recent homicides and asks the community to join him in taking a stance against gun violence.

Senator Kenneth L. Gittens calls for law enforcement redeployment to address spate of gun violence.

Anna Mae Brown Comment adamantly feels “that yachts have no place in Magens Bay. Choose another bay.”

In her bi-weekly column, “State of the Territory,” former Sen. Janelle K. Sarauw delves deeper into issues of concern for V.I. residents and for the month of March, Women's History and V.I. History.

The bill "was approved in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and signed into law by President Biden. This averts a partial government shutdown, which would have negative consequences for the Virgin Islands."

I grew up hearing that men rule the world. Is that really true? Women have played major roles in human history. Too often, women who have played critical roles in changing world history are overlooked. For example, it was a woman named Mary Magdalene who played a critical role in world history by spreading the good news of mankind that Christ had risen from the dead. March is Virgin Islands History Month. Therefore, I will briefly discuss the impact local women had on local and world history.

The remote community of Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands has been under the threat of a 144-slip mega yacht marina development for more than a decade now.

Developments in recent weeks suggest that Haiti, a country of 11 million, is careening toward anarchy. This grave situation is likely to trigger massive movements of people internally, from the capital, Port au Prince, with a population of approximately 3 million, to provincial towns and successive waves of outmigration to nearby countries and territories, including the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In her bi-weekly column, “State of the Territory,” former Sen. Janelle K. Sarauw delves deeper into issues of concern for V.I. residents and for the month of March, Women's History and V.I. History.  

Around the world, people are living with mental illness, and the resources and support needed to help this community of people are lacking. More specifically, these resources are almost non-existent right here at home in the territory. And on Tuesday, due to the minimal support we have, a man lost his life and another is possibly going to prison for murder. 

The recent and tragic death of nine-year-old Ja'Qeada Issac on St. Thomas has shaken our community to its core. While official details surrounding the circumstances are still coming to light, the collective grief and anguish felt by those who knew the family — and even those who didn’t — has been palpable.

Perhaps it’s a common human experience, as we age, to reminisce about the past and feel a profound sadness for what no longer exists. A few months ago, I drove through Frederiksted, and there, I had to pause, overcome by a strong torrent of emotion. I cried like a helpless, abandoned child. Yes, I’m a grown man, and though I’m not ashamed (perhaps just a little), I wept uncontrollably for a few minutes.

Verdel L. Petersen urges Virgin Islands to get involved with choosing delegates to the next Constitutional Convention to create a proposed constitution for the USVI that will be approved by the electorate and the US Congress.

In the last few months, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced monumental awards for rebuilding critical infrastructure in the Virgin Islands related to destruction from hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The announcement of over $928 million for the rebuild of Roy L Schneider Regional Hospital, along with the previously announced $834 million for the Juan F. Luis Hospital, creates a tremendous opportunity to become a regional powerhouse for healthcare.

With changing demographics, the Virgin Islands of the United States needs to make it absolutely clear to its residents the territory does not have a Constitution, and it needs one to be ratified. But first, qualified delegates need to run to be seated as Delegates to the 6th Constitutional Convention. That election is set to take place this coming November 5, 2024.