Olive Acme Christian Ford, aka “Ms. Ford, Fordy, Grandmoda”, of Estate Anna’s Hope, passed away on Nov. 8. She was 86 years old.
Olive Acme Christian Ford
She was preceded in death by her spouse, Leroy E. Ford, Sr.; mother, Verna Osborne Christian; father, Oliver Christian; grandchild, Shadejah Albert; brother, Hugo Penn, Sr.; niece, Michelene Nurse; aunts, Estelle Joseph Hodge, Karen Pickering, Beryl Osborne, Mary R. Benners- Krigger; uncle, Ira Osborne; brothers-in- law, Evan Scott, Alexander Ford, Joseph Ford, Amos Hatchett; sister-in-law, Eleanor Hatchett Hector.
She is survived by her daughter, Arlene A. Ford; son, Leroy E. Ford II, Eugene O. Ford; grandchildren, Omari Lewis, Afiya, Jamal Lewis, Shamoya, Shalom Albert, Adele, Pamela, Leroy III, Michelle, Michael, Lakima, and Matisha Ford; (40) great-grandchildren; (4) great great-great-grandchild; sister, Aurora Christian Chase; brothers, Phillip Christian, Sr, Henry Christian, Sr.; nieces, Allison Nurse, Monis Nurse, Irma Chase, Danette Penn Marsh; nephew, Gregory, and Michael Penn, Wayne Hodge, Hugo Jr., and Richard Penn, Henry Christian Jr., Phillip Christian Jr., Percival Nurse, Maurice Chase; (15) great nieces; (13) great nephews; grandson-in-law, Dennis Knight, Sr.; sister-in-law, Joan Penn, Virginia Scott, Mary Hatchett Walton; (3) godchildren; other precious families and friends too numerous to mention.
Funeral services will be held on Dec. 12 at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Viewing begins at 9 a.m. with service at 10 a.m. Interment will be held at Kingshill Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home.
Gordon Michael Haynes, aka Silverfox, of Estate Barren Spot, passed away on Nov. 14. He was 79 years old.
Gordon Michael Haynes
He was preceded in death by his mother, Claricea Haynes; father, Maxi Modesse; spouse, Lilia Marion Haynes; sister, Claire Haynes; brothers, Cadmus Haynes, Martin Haynes; nephews, Richard Haynes, Wesley Haynes; great nieces, Siedah Edwards; brothers-in-law, Dolwin Belgrave, Donason Belgrave.
He is survived by his daughters, Michelle Terri Haynes, Nicole Yassmin Haynes; grandchildren (Adopted), Chelsea Narcisse, Nancy Parrilla, Shane and Shania Moore, Larysha Bedford, Jolon and Sinaiah Hazell, J’Noah Battiste, Mia King, Maddie and Ari Rios, Sariah Jonas, Nathan Florence, Alex Williams, Zokia Francis, Alexis and Adrienne Schrader; sisters, Pamela Mentor; nieces, Selena Edwards, Ayanna Haynes, Allison Haynes (niece-in-law), Anndeen Haynes, Renata Williamson, Delores Webb, Dawn Mentor, Nadia Alexander Haynes (niece-in-law), nephews, Kevin Haynes, Anthony Haynes; great nieces, Raynelle Haynes, Nicollette Haynes, Nia Alexander, Azariah Haynes, Daniella Haynes, Isabella Haynes; great Nephews, Raheem Haynes, Nathaniel Haynes, Tyrese Corridon; sisters-in-law, Hedy Ramdeen, Morien Belgrave, Debra Belgrave, Astra Belgrave; brothers-in-law, Deryl Belgrave, Curtis Belgrave, Glenroy Belgrave; special friends, Heritage and Ay Ay Cultural Dancers, The Antoine-Florence family, the Griffith family, Connor family, Hosier family, Joseph-Parrilla family, Marcus family, Elcock family, “Tibbs” Francis and family, Gaston family, Alleyne family, Sanchez family, Urick Alexander and family, Kirt and Shirley Smith, James and Myrna Matthew, Roger and Melina Moore, Sheron and Karen Moore, Michael and Elyse Marchan, Lucecita Velazquez and family, Robert Phillip and family, Frank Hyland and family Josue Martinez (deceased), Jerry Doward, Mr. Eastman, and Mrs. Thomas, David Browne, Harrigan Family, Shermel Browne, Brenda James and Family, The entire Hovic/Hovensa Family; cousins and other relatives, too numerous to mention.
Special Request: The family asked everyone in attendance to wear the colors of purple and black.
Funeral services will be held on Dec. 2 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church. Viewing begins at 9 am with service at 10 am.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home.
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is pleased to share that power was maintained across the St. Thomas–St. John district, yesterday, thanks to strong collaboration and support from partners and the community.
Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority
With limited generation available yesterday, WAPA prepared a rotational outage schedule as a precaution to protect the grid and keep the majority of customers powered.
WAPA expresses gratitude and recognizes the support of private partners, including our large commercial and residential customers, who switched to alternate power sources to help maintain load demand. Their cooperation demonstrates the strength of partnership between the public and private sectors.
This experience reinforces the need to diversify the energy system on St. Thomas and St. John. Reliance on maritime deliveries of fuel makes the district more susceptible to operational and supply disruptions.
On St. Croix, operations continued without interruption because of the Spanish Town, Petronella, and Hogensborg solar farms that met daytime demand, with battery storage providing support after sunset.
Expanding renewable energy and greater system flexibility in the St. Thomas–St. John district—similar to the progress made on St. Croix—will benefit the entire Territory. A more diversified system means better reliability for families and businesses.
WAPA extends thanks to its plant teams and staff for their rapid coordination and communication, and to the community for their understanding and partnership as we continue moving the Territory toward a stronger, more resilient energy future.
Kertis Tonge Jr. has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the October 2024 murder of Quanza Heath on St. Croix, the V.I. Justice Department announced Friday.
Kertis Tonge Jr. (VIPD photo)
The sentence, imposed Wednesday by V.I. Superior Court Judge Ernest E. Morris Jr., comes after a jury convicted Tonge, 34, of murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, assault in the third degree, reckless endangerment, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and unauthorized possession of ammunition on Sept. 10.
According to the Superior Court docket, Tonge is appealing his conviction to the V.I. Supreme Court, citing the following issues in a notice of appeal Thursday: Whether there was insufficient evidence to sustain the jury verdict entered on Sept. 11; whether the trial judge erred by, after the people rested, denying the defendant’s Rule 29 Motion to Dismiss the first-degree murder charge; whether the judge erred by denying Tonge’s renewed Motion to Dismiss the first-degree murder charge; whether the judge erred for permitting the people to amend the Amended Information during trial on Sept. 9, to add Murder Second Degree in a Third Amended Information; and whether the judge erred by failing to submit the Defendant’s proposed voir dire questions.
According to police and court records, Tonge went uninvited to a Lorraine Village apartment shortly before noon on Oct. 23, 2024. After getting into a dispute with the occupants, he intentionally shot and killed Heath, 35, who was inside of the apartment. In total he fired three shots into the apartment occupied by Heath, an adult woman and multiple children.
After a citizen called 911, responding officers found Quanza with multiple gunshot wounds and quickly transported him to Juan F. Luis Hospital for emergency treatment, where he later died of his injuries.
V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea expressed gratitude to everyone involved for their hard work, including the prosecutors, investigators, the Victim Witness Advocate, and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
Olasee Davis on an early January morning at the summit of Mt. Eagle, where the fog covered the entire mountain. “Believe me, it was a spiritual experience of Mt. Eagle in the fog where runaway slaves once hid,” he said. (Photo courtesy Olasee Davis)
This second article on the Great Northeast Central region of Maroon Country will continue the history of Maroon refuges. From a historical point of view, St. Croix was always a haven for Maroons. The French occupied St. Croix from the 1650s to 1669. From 1669 to 1733, Maroons controlled the island for 64 years. As a result, St. Croix was an uncolonized wilderness when the French left and the island came under periodic occupation by a small group of poor whites and their slaves.
Olasee Davis, Ph.D. (Submitted photo)
We were taught in school that the Virgin Islands was ruled under seven flags. We forgot to mention in our history that Maroons on St. Croix governed themselves for decades before the arrival of the Danish government in 1734. The Great Northeast Central part of the island, which includes Estate North Star and Mount Eagle, played a significant role in the resistance and resilience of Maroons and slaves in the mountainous region, now part of the territorial park system of the Virgin Islands. Nonetheless, part of the Federal Forest Legacy Program requires that there be a management plan created for any land acquired for parks.
I mentioned in the first article of this series on Maroon refuges in the northeast that Estate North Star was purchased through the Forest Legacy Program to be part of the territorial park system. In other words, the land belongs to the people of these islands. Ridge to Reef Consulting received a contract from the Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry under the Forest Legacy Program to develop a management plan for Estate North Star.
Nate Olive was the principal investigator tapped to develop the management plan for the site, along with local historian George F. Tyson, Michael Morgan and myself. However, I will focus on the history of Estate North Star, which included occupation by landowners and Maroons.
According to Tyson, Estate North Star was one of the last plantation grounds to be surveyed and sold on St. Croix in the late 1750s. Danish documents, however, show that the plantation grounds were greatly impeded by harassment by Maroons who occupied the dense tropical forest and steep terrain of Mount Eagle.
We forget to mention in our Virgin Islands history that Maroons on St. Croix governed themselves for decades before the arrival of the Danish government in 1734. This image depicts a rebelling enslaved African who, after fleeing, is fighting the white colonists. (Credit to William Blake, drawing of a Maroon (1744-1797) )
Because of difficulties with the Maroons’ harassment, the original boundaries of the property proved to be imprecise. In the 1820s and 1830s, the owners agreed to surrender their long- contested area of the land to neighbors on the south and east, which reduced the size of the property to about 100 Danish acres. In the Danish historical records of 1882, its official size was readjusted upward to 108 acres. Since then, other studies have been done that created parcels of land with North Star plantation. According to Tyson, the earliest historic maps of the site date from 1647,1667, and 1750 when Estate North Star was unoccupied and in dense forest.
“According to the survey records cited above and other evidence, it was inhabited by the northside Maroons until at least the 1750s. Thereafter, its northern reaches continued to provide shelter for temporary encampments of runaway slaves as late as the 1820s (Rigsarkivet 1749;1797;1822),” noted Tyson. There are other maps, like Cronenberg-Jagersberg of 1750, showing the northwest quadrant from Salt River Bay to Hams Bluff Maroon Country as wilderness. No settlement was recorded in land tax registers.
Christopher MacEvoy Sr. (1719-1792), an Irish planter on St. Croix during the Danish rule of the islands. He was one of the owners of Estate North Star from 1778-1793, along with his heirs. (Image courtesy Wikipedia)
The Beck map of 1754 also shows the area from Davis Bay (where Carambola Beach Resort is located today) to Hams Bluff as unsurveyed. No settlement is recorded in land tax registers of this period as well. According to the Danish land and head tax record, the original owner of Estate North Star, J.H Michelsen, had one to three enslaved persons living with him and 19 slaves between 1753 and 1755. In April 1755, Michelsen sold the eastern half of the property to Mads Cragh, owner of the adjoining plantation ground of Northside B. Quarter.
Cragh had 35 enslaved laborers. On July 1, he sold his holding with 15 slaves to Dr. Lorentz Grundel, who cultivated and processed cane on the property. Two year later, Grundel acquired the other half of the property, Northside B Quarter, from Michelsen, thus creating a 242-acre plantation that became known as Estate North Star. However, when Michelsen had the property, he engaged in timber harvesting rather than commercial agriculture. This timber harvesting was the case throughout Northside A and B Quarter at that time. However, up until 1890s, the upland of Mount Eagle was still a dense tropical forest.
In 1895, Alfred Edmund Ricksecker, a botanist, mentioned his exploration of Mount Eagle. He stated in his report that, “On January 31 I visited the estate of Canaan, where the hospitable owner spent the day with me in the exploration of Mount Eagle, the highest point on the island. In places the soil was shallow and great broken rocks and dense growths made progress difficult.” He further commented, “The forest of the mountain was quite dense in places, while its north side was so precipitous that it seemed to be almost sheer to the ocean.”
This description of Mount Eagle by Ricksecker gave us insight into the forests in the area and the solitude the runaway slaves had in the mountain and deep valleys of North Star and the rolling hills of Parasol and Solitude Estate, south of North Star and Mount Eagle, which are now part of the newly establish territorial park. Nevertheless, by the end of 1758, Grundel had 53 enslaved laborers on his property, 15 of whom were classified as runaways or Maroons.
In the third article of this series about Maroon Country northeast central, I will pick up from where I left off — where the rugged terrain of Estate North Star and Mount Eagle was a haven for runaway slaves.
— Olasee Davis is a bush professor who lectures and writes about the culture, history, ecology and environment of the Virgin Islands when he is not leading hiking tours of the wild places and spaces of St. Croix and beyond.
In recognition of World Fisheries Day on Nov. 21, Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources highlights the essential role fishers play in preserving marine resources.
A yellowtail snapper (Submitted photo)
With guidance from the territorial Fishery Advisory Committees, DPNR is implementing new management measures for yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)—a species that is both culturally and economically significant in the U.S. Virgin Islands. To align territorial regulations with federal protections under 50 CFR 622.481 and 50 CFR 622.516, the following rule is now in effect:
• Minimum Size Requirement: All yellowtail snapper harvested in territorial waters around St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John must measure at least 12 inches in total length.
This size limit ensures fish have the opportunity to reproduce before harvest, supporting long-term sustainability of the species.
Compliance and Enforcement
• Fish under 12 inches must be released immediately with minimal harm.
• Vessel operators are responsible for ensuring compliance.
• Possessing, selling, or purchasing undersized yellowtail snapper is prohibited.
These measures, consistent with Title 12 of the Virgin Islands Code and Title 50 CFR Part 622, create a unified standard for territorial and federal waters, simplifying compliance for local fishers. Violations may result in enforcement actions. For additional details, visit dpnr.vi.gov or contact:
• Division of Fish and Wildlife:
o St. Croix: (340) 773-1082
o St. Thomas: (340) 775-6762
• Division of Environmental Enforcement:
o St. Croix: (340) 773-5774
o St. Thomas: (340) 774-3320
• Email: DFWElectronic@usvi.onmicrosoft.com
V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea has confirmed the arrest of eight juveniles on St. Thomas in connection with recent bomb threats targeting local schools.
The minors are charged with making a series of bomb threats over the past two weeks, directed to 911 emergency dispatch, targeting multiple schools including Charlotte Amalie High School and Lockhart K-8. These threats caused evacuations, lockdowns, and significant disruption across the St. Thomas District.
Under Virgin Islands Code, Title 14 §2142, making a bomb hoax is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
The investigation was led by the V.I. Police Department with support from the V.I. Department of Justice, according to a press release announcing the arrests Thursday. Detectives successfully identified and apprehended the individuals suspected to be responsible, it said.
The suspects are juveniles, so their identities are being withheld.
Working closely with investigators, the Attorney General’s Office filed a series of motions to remand the suspects to custody and expedite hearings related to the matter, according to the release.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. praised the coordinated response and called for strong accountability in the case.
“I want to thank Attorney General Rhea, Commissioner Brooks, the detectives of the Juvenile Bureau and every investigator and first responder who worked quickly and professionally to bring us to this point,” Bryan said in a statement. “Let me be very clear. Calling in a bomb threat to a school is not a prank. It is a serious crime that has terrorized our classrooms, frightened our students and educators, and pulled critical resources away from real emergencies. I fully support the Attorney General’s efforts to remand these suspects and to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law. Our children and our community deserve to know that we will not tolerate anyone who threatens the safety of our students, faculty and staff.”
Rhea commended the swift and effective action taken by VIPD and the partnership between agencies.
“This is an exceptional example of diligent police investigators working in close coordination with the Attorney General’s Office to ensure the safety of our schools and our community,” Rhea said. “I want to personally thank those who were instrumental in this effort, including DOJ Chief Deputy Ian Clement, DOJ Criminal Division Chief Timothy Perry, Assistant Attorneys General Dianne Russell and Madeleine James, VIPD Detective Jahbari Burton of the Juvenile Bureau and I give the highest praise to VIPD Commissioner Mario Brooks for his outstanding leadership in this effort.”
The Attorney General’s Office noted that the consequences for disrupting local school operations are serious “and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.” Suspects will face multiple felony charges, including: Bomb Hoax (14 V.I.C. §2142), False Reporting First Degree (14 V.I.C.§2147), Conspiracy (14 V.I.C.§551), Cyber Harassment (14 V.I.C. §465), and Disturbance of the Peace/Threats (14 V.I.C. §622), it said.
Applause and cheers filled a courtroom Thursday afternoon after a federal judge granted a joint request from the territory and the U.S. Justice Department to terminate part of a 40-year-old consent decree related to medical care for people incarcerated at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility on St. Croix.
The U.S. Justice Department began investigating unconstitutional conditions at the facility decades ago, and the territory reached a settlement agreement with the United States in 2013. After years of back-and-forth, attorneys for both the territory and the United States jointly asked the court last year to sever its oversight of physical health from mental health care, and judge the V.I. Corrections Bureau on those separately.
During a status conference on St. Croix Thursday, court-appointed monitors testified to progress in both areas. Lead monitor Kenneth Ray said “the light at the end of the tunnel… has gotten larger.”
“And I’m certain it’s not a freight train,” he added.
After receiving updates from all parties, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Wilma Lewis granted the request to discontinue the court’s oversight of medical care for inmates. BOC staffers in the pews celebrated the ruling, but Lewis cautioned them against complacency. Lewis warned them against working towards compliance but not sustaining it.
“The bureau will be doomed to repeat the past,” she said. “Please remember that.”
Later, she advised those in the courtroom to remember the circumstances which led to Thursday’s status conference.
“Getting there is one thing,” she said. “Staying there is something else.”
Lewis later acknowledged that she plans to retire in February. She offered rousing comments about the necessity of public service, which she called “an awesome responsibility” and “a great privilege.”
The public was allowed to review artwork by students of the St. Croix Educational Complex on Wednesday in honor of David Hamilton Jackson. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
When students from the St. Croix Educational Complex unveiled their artwork Wednesday night at Fort Frederik Museum, they weren’t just sharing self-portraits and digital collages—they were honoring the legacy of David Hamilton Jackson, whose fight for civil rights reshaped life in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The display is part of the fifth annual educational art project and exhibition launched by the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums (DLAM) in November 2021 to honor the legacy of David Hamilton Jackson and his monumental contributions to civil rights in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The exhibition featured pieces created under the instruction of art teacher Danica David and English teacher Cleone Lynch.
Born on St. Croix in 1884, Jackson fought for freedom of the press, voting rights, higher wages, workers’ rights, and founded the St. Croix Labor Union. Students first studied his life and leadership before creating artwork inspired by his advocacy and the broader struggle for civil rights during a time of deep racial inequality in the territory. Through symbolic imagery, storytelling, and reflection on leadership qualities such as bravery, honesty, and vision, they connected Jackson’s legacy to their own identities and values.
Lynch said the project helped her students strengthen both knowledge and identity. “Through their work, whether academic research, poetry, or visual art, my students deepened their understanding of our past and strengthened their sense of identity. I always tell them that while we celebrate athletic achievements, academic competition carries the same importance. I push them to challenge themselves, participate, and be engaged,” she shared.
Daija Hall in front of her piece entitled “The Paradox.” (Source photo by Diana Dias)
Among the featured works was a digital piece by eleventh grader Daija Hall, who used two opposing heads to symbolize the relationship between past and future, with an egg representing the tension and merging of both timelines. She used color symbolically: blue for freedom and loyalty, red for danger and passion, purple for its beauty, and green for nurture and growth. She tilted her piece The Paradox.
Another student, Wayne Cherubin Jr., transformed a selfie into a historical style portrait inspired by Jackson’s dedication, aiming to reflect the continued importance of hard work and advocacy.
Student Wayne Cherubin, Jr. with his self portrait in honor of David Hamilton Jackson. (Source photo by Diana Dias)
DLAM Chief Curator Monica Marin explained that the initiative began in 2021 as a youth empowerment project encouraging students to become agents of change within their community. The goal, she said, is to help young people use their voices through art, research, and poetry to take a stand on issues affecting the Virgin Islands.
This year’s focus on symbolic self-portraits began with students learning about Jackson’s life through a presentation by Marin. They identified leadership traits they felt embodied his activism and incorporated those qualities into their creative work. Students took selfies and used AI tools to reimagine themselves in Jackson’s era, pairing the images with personal statements.
Marin noted that this is the fifth annual exhibit, an initiative that encourages students to step into their own power just as Jackson once did. She also gave special acknowledgement to Stephanie Chalana Brown, the Education Department’s Territorial Director of the Division of Cultural Education, for her contributions and support of the program.
After reconvening in full session Wednesay, the 36th Legislature moved quickly through a crowded agenda—confirming two judges, a new Tourism Commissioner, and a board appointee before advancing some of the year’s most consequential energy, tourism, and economic development measures.
Senators voted to confirm Venetia H. Velazquez to the Superior Court Division of St. Croix, Melanie L. Turnbull to the Superior Court Family Division on St. Thomas–St. John, Jennifer M. Matarangas-King as Commissioner of Tourism, and Bernesha B. Liburd to the Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board.
Matarangas-King’s confirmation places the Territory’s top industry under new leadership as the USVI continues to see record-breaking visitor arrivals. A St. Croix native with more than 30 years of experience in communications, public affairs, and organizational leadership, she has spent her first 90 days stabilizing internal operations at the Department of Tourism, deepening airline and cruise partnerships, and rebuilding the Territory’s visibility at global industry events. She met with major carriers at Routes Americas, engaged cruise executives during the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Conference, represented the USVI at CTO’s State of the Industry Conference, and launched the “WOW Wednesday” career-development collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands.
“Strengthening partnerships, investing in people, and setting a clear path forward is our mission,” she said after the vote. “Together, we will continue to showcase the authenticity, excellence, and opportunity that define our islands.”
With confirmations complete, senators turned to the measures discussed earlier in Committee of the Whole, beginning with two major solar proposals for St. Thomas. Lawmakers voted to ratify the Coastal Zone Management permits for the proposed arrays at Estate Fortuna (Bill No. 36-0214) and Estate Bovoni (Bill No. 36-0215), projects central to the Territory’s long-term renewable strategy. The decisions followed hours of testimony earlier in the day, where senators pressed developers and WAPA officials on engineering standards, storm-resiliency, insurance protections, community notification, and environmental safeguards. Supporters argued the projects are essential to grid reliability and cost reductions, while residents raised concerns grounded in past storm damage.
The Legislature also approved Bill No. 36-0138, transferring several government-owned parcels in Subbase to the Virgin Islands Port Authority for the Crown Bay Redevelopment Project. The more than $200 million public-private initiative aims to modernize the port, expand cruise capacity, and create a year-round waterfront district for residents and visitors. Senators stressed the need for cultural integration, tenant protections, and meaningful community involvement as planning advances.
A major financial vote came with Bill No. 36-0216, amending the Hotel Development Act to authorize a wholly owned Public Finance Authority subsidiary to issue tax-exempt bonds for the Frenchman’s Reef financing structure. Advisors told lawmakers the arrangement will safeguard the hotel asset, ensure it is maintained to first-class standards throughout the bond term, and ultimately return the property to government ownership after repayment.
Additional measures passed during the session included updates to the Caregivers Leave Act (Bill No. 36-0086), expedited building permit provisions (Bill No. 36-0135), a mandate for electronic payment systems through the V.I. Taxicab Commission (Bill No. 36-0148), and appropriations for capital projects using excess debt service reserve funds (Bill No. 36-0196).
Senators also adopted two resolutions:
Bill No. 36-0044, honoring seven-year-old brothers Kruz and Stefon Wilson for saving a drowning man at Magens Bay; and
Bill No. 36-0075, posthumously recognizing Austin A. Venzen for his contributions to music education and the arts.
