Photo Focus: J’ouvert Street Fashion Spectacular 2024

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Photo Focus: J’ouvert Street Fashion Spectacular 2024

Thousands turned out for Thursday’s Carnival J’ouvert on St. Thomas. Many took time to dress for the fete with varying degrees of coverage. An assortment of fishnet stockings, tops, and jumpsuits proved that string is a thing among revelers. Shorts are still popular, as are bathing suits for men and women.

One man showed up dressed as many did in the early J’ouvert tramps borrowing a woman’s wig and house coat. Bucket hats were everywhere.

But as in previous editions of the Street Fashion Spectacular, there were those standouts who thought and brought a well-composed outfit displaying style and practicality:

Her boots were made for tramping. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Shanelle White combined sparkle hose with sturdy lace-up boots along with shorts and a tie-front cropped top.

Dawes displays Jamaican island style. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Perched on the wall by Emancipation Garden, Melony Dawes wore a two-piece outfit with a Jamaican flag design. Floral lace hosiery, boots and a wide-brimmed visor finished her look.

Local singer chooses casual comfort for the road. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Reggae artist Mada Niles (Marsha Maynard) paired sea-colored camo top and leggings with a car-wash paneled denim skirt, red head wrap with matching shoes for a casual but stylish outfit.

Simple pieces topped with a beige knit cap. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Azayah Lake anchored her look on a short pleated shirt with a matching knit cap and a playful white tank top.

Armstrong’s edgy red and black outfit. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

On the waterfront, Nathley Armstrong used red accents and accessories to draw the eye to her black pleather top and boy shorts. A matching neck cuff and wrist cuff link up with help from a slip pleather strap. Red shoes finish off the ensemble.

Python pattern hints at something wild. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

By the Coast Guard station fence, Tasheda King layered a 2-piece python printed bikini with a long-sleeve mesh crop top and matching garters. Big shades and a slim black headband pull this outfit together.

EPA Pledges $12 Million For USVI Drinking Water

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EPA Pledges $12 Million For USVI Drinking Water
The Environmental Protection Agency will send $12.7 to the USVI to combat lead in drinking water. (Source photo by Mat Probasco)
The federal government will send nearly $12.7 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to address exposure to lead in drinking water, Environmental Protection Agency officials announced Thursday. The federal funds from the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, are meant to help rid the United States of lead poisoning, which can cause a range of serious health problems, including irreversible harm to children’s brain development. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families, the EPA said, with some 1.7 million lead pipes in use nationwide. None of those lead pipes are in the USVI, however, according to officials at the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. Last year’s lead-drinking-water scare on St. Croix was the result of flawed testing, not widespread heavy-metal poisoning, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said earlier this year. The lead-poisoning alert led to a State of Emergency and public pipes cut off in 36 areas and widespread concern amongst those without cisterns to draw water from. The extraordinary lead and copper levels in many St. Croix municipal water pipes discovered in September 2023 were likely caused by tests performed at the meter, not at the household faucet. Subsequent testing found dramatically lower lead and copper levels more in line with EPA standards. WAPA has since sought pipe-coating treatments that could avoid future potential problems, officials said. Still, WAPA officials are working to replace all St. Croix’s water pipes. The authority has received a $1 billion FEMA-approved grant to replace St. Croix’s entire potable water distribution system and was provided a $30 million sub-award to contract master planning and conceptual design. To maximize the accuracy of reconstructing the water system, a hydraulic model was built to determine which aspects of the current system need to be brought to industry standards, officials have said. The $12.7 million announced Thursday is the first ever federal funding dedicated to replacing lead service lines, said Department of Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol. “During the State of Emergency of 2023, various measures were put in place to address critical situations,” Oriol said. “Given the recent funding allocations for lead service line replacement under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, it’s crucial for DPNR and other relevant agencies to collaborate closely with the Water and Power Authority to upgrade the territory’s water infrastructure. This collaboration ensures that lead service lines are replaced, water quality is improved, and residents have access to reliable services. By reaching communities across the U.S. Virgin Islands, including rural areas and historically underserved populations, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making critical investments that will enhance the lives of the people of the territory. Whether it’s rebuilding roads, expanding internet access, or improving water quality, these investments are vital for the U.S. Virgin Islands’ future.” Lisa Garcia, the EPA’s regional administrator, said the funding, championed by President Joe Biden, was important and long overdue. “Every Virgin Islands resident deserves safe drinking water, and this major injection of funding will further bolster the work to achieve that goal,” Garcia said. “For too long, the urgent need to improve our drinking water systems has far outweighed the available funding, as evidenced in the recent drinking water situation on St. Croix.” Alongside the funding announced today, EPA is also releasing a memorandum that clarifies how states can use this and other funding to most effectively reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. Additionally, EPA has developed new outreach documents to help water systems educate their customers on drinking water issues, health impacts of lead exposure, service line ownership, and how customers can support the identification of potential lead service lines in their homes, said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes,” Regan said. “President Biden understands it is critical to identify and remove lead pipes as quickly as possible, and he has secured significant resources for states and territories to accelerate the permanent removal of dangerous lead pipes once and for all.”

Virgin Islander Advances in National Poetry Out Loud Competition

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Virgin Islander Advances in National Poetry Out Loud Competition
Antilles School junior Isabell Thill recites a poem for the Poetry Out Loud national competition. (Screenshot courtesy National Endowment for the Arts)
Eleventh-grader Isabell Thill from Antilles School distinguished herself Wednesday at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C. She joins more than four million students from 20,000 schools, who have participated since the program began in 2005. After winning the district championship on St. Thomas, Thill competed in the first of three national semifinals comprising 55 high school students on Wednesday. After two poems, delivered with feeling, she advanced to the final eight. After the eight students recited their third poem, Thill did not advance to the final three to take part in the finals on May 2. POL contestants are judged on physical presence during the recitation, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding, overall performance and accuracy. Ray Ann Gonzalez was the hostess of the semi-final competition sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts at George Washington University. She said the program “encourages great poetry” and promotes self-care and awareness, helping the students become “master communicators.” Thill recited two poems and, in the third knockout-round, “The Siren Song” was spoken with feeling, adjusting the volume and emotion as needed. (“Siren Song” was written by Margaret Atwood, who also wrote the “Handmaid’s Tale.”) Sonya Swan is Thill’s coach who advised her that judges look at how well the competitor understands the poem she is reciting. Contestants should also speak with a clear voice. Swan said the first poem should be “a solid one” and “a great representative of who you are” or words you connect with. “Isabell is a humble individual. So she didn’t recognize the talent within,” Swan told the Source. “She was shocked that she won” the local competition. On Wednesday, Thill kept saying she was nervous but Swan saw no indication that she was. Since she is a junior, Swan said Thill can compete again next year. Several of this year’s competitors were returning for the third or fourth time, she added. On May 2, nine finalists participated in the finals. Niveah Glover of the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Florida emerged the national champion to take home $20,000. First runner-up was Tiana Renee Jones of Georgia, who won $10,000, and second runner-up was Nyla Dinkins of the District of Columbia, who was awarded $5,000. Students who place fourth through 12th won $1,000. The winners’ schools will also receive $500 for supplies.
Isabell Thill, from Antilles School, is awarded a plaque for participation by the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Out Loud organizers. (Screenshot courtesy National Endowment for the Arts)
This is not the first time Virgin Islanders have been recognized for their knowledge and recitation of poetry. According to Geoff Bergeron, the program coordinator for POL, the program has been in the territory’s high school curriculum almost since the beginning. Every student from ninth through 12th grade selects a poem from the Poetry Out Loud approved register, memorizes it and recites it with the appropriate emotion. The students learn about public speaking as well as poetry. He said the all of the students enjoy the recitation events at the schools. Bergeron said he worked with Thill before and after the local competition, focusing on public speaking and understanding the poem and its author. “If you don’t understand the poem, you won’t do well,” he said. “Isabell Thill did well connecting and conveying the message of the poem.” In 2008, the national winner was Shantay Henry from Charlotte Amalie High School, and since then several other students distinguished themselves at the nationals “That kind of sparked things on St. Thomas,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of success with it.” The V.I. Council on the Arts sponsors and helps with coaching and coordinating programs at the schools and the regional competition. V.I. Parks and Recreation is the other important sponsor, Bergeron said. In the local contest last March, there were participants from the territory’s high schools, and the winners included Annelia Graham, St. Croix Seventh-day Adventist School, second place, and Qian Harrigan-Thomas of Charlotte Amalie High School, who placed third. Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the 2008 national winner was from Antilles School. It was Shantay Henry from Charlotte Amalie High School.

Remembering Candia Atwater Shields: Art Collector, Visionary, Museum Founder

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Remembering Candia Atwater Shields: Art Collector, Visionary, Museum Founder
Candia Atwater Shields (Submitted photo)
Candia Ann Atwater came into this world on May 4, 1943 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She grew up in Buffalo – raised by her aunt Kitty and uncle John Kenneth Galbraith, studied at Old Westbury, N.Y., and worked in Albany, N.Y. Candia Atwater Shields was married, divorced, and raised three sons, Mark, Christopher, and Evan, in Port Washington, N.Y. After visiting St. John when the boys were young, the islands became a draw for her. “The warm waters here were good for her; my mom had a bad back,” said Evan. Candia embraced the island of St. Croix and became a part of the community sometime in the late 1980s. She sowed her visionary seeds on its soil as a Crucian of choice, and it is where she made her earthly transition on March 5, with her son Evan beside her. Carmella Richards and Candia met as next-door neighbors in Estate La Vallee in 1992. In their breakfast times together and talks across the fence, Candia’s topic of conversation was always about starting a museum, Richards said. “She was a really good friend. She got me into gardening. We always got along well – we went out together and I would do the driving at night.”
Candia and Carmella Richards at Candia’s home in La Grange, April 2017. (Photo courtesy Carmella Richards)
Richards began to work with Candia when her ideas of developing the first  “Art and Soul Calendar” for 1995 became a reality. There were many community folks on board to help with layout and design, photography, editing, and multiple chores to get the calendar printed and distributed. There were meetings and organizing, all in preparation of the calendar. Richards helped with typing the proposals and transporting work in her truck. The calendars were sold in stores across the island. A lot of the artwork in the first three calendars was from Candia’s own collection.  Richards moved to New York in 1996, and on her subsequent visits to St.Croix, she and Candia would pick up where they left off from the last visit, Richards said. With financial support from her family, Candia’s dream came true with the move in 2003 to the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts on Strand Street in downtown Frederiksted.  “She wanted something for the children of the V.I. Candia worked as an Assistant Attorney General in Paternity and Child Support Services. That kind of work showed her what our children needed on this island and she was determined to provide diverse programs as outlets for them,” Richards said. Candia, according to her friends and her son Evan, was very social. “She had a very protective and loving adopted family of women friends over the years,” longtime friend Downing Child shared.
Candia and Downing Child (Photo courtesy Downing Child)
Downing and Candia met in 2002 and they both brainstormed about the museum. “In the process, she became one of my best friends in my life.”  “She was very supportive with my struggles and my subsequent divorce,” she said. “Candia understood that actions are more powerful than words and she was always so present for people. She showed up. She had this wonderful warmth and earthiness to her,” Downing said. “When I would call, she would say, ‘Hi Hon.’ I can still hear her voice. She is someone you would want to call at the end of the day. There was nothing she couldn’t handle. There was no judgment,” Dowling shared. “Candia’s Carambola home was filled with wall-to-wall paintings of artists that she valued and wanted to understand their story. The museum center was a place where she could unpack most of it,” Downing said. Downing saw in Candia what most people saw — she cared so much about inspiring young people and really cared about the young people of St. Croix and the Caribbean who were isolated and exposed to violence and all the things that challenge the youth in the American inner cities, generally. She gained this knowledge from her work in the AG office.  “When I go to the museum website, there is not a detail, the domains, the depths and possibilities that Candia did not envision or talk obsessively about. It’s all there — the artist residency, the classes for children, the social gatherings in the courtyard — all of it. It’s incredible to see this life played out with this wonderful gift,” Downing said. Downing’s son Harrison visited Candia during his spring break. They had lunch together the day before Candia passed. Harrison is interested in law school and Candia told him all about immigration law and the power to change people’s lives, Downing said.  “She was funny. She was just fun and funny. She loved life. I wish I could have had some more time with her.”
Harrison and Candia at lunch the day before she passed. (Photo courtesy Downing Child)
Downing said she is touched knowing that she is one of many women who counted Candia as one of their closest comrades and friends. She looks forward to returning to St. Croix for a “hugabout.” “You don’t have to be an artist to love art. Candia embodied that — the gift of art. She believed that you can travel the world through art. Art is the human condition,” Downing said. Artist Janet Cook-Rutnik met Candia in 1993. She also remembers the multitude of art Candia bought — helping so many artists with the dream of creating a museum. That was the beginning of her collaboration and communication with the artists.
Janet and Candia under the mango tree in La Grange, February 2023. (Photo courtesy Sigi Torinus)
“What Candia did was very innovative,” Cook-Rutnik said. “She did great things — founding the museum and increasing the level of interest in the arts. There was no institutional support for the arts,” Cook-Rutnik said. “There were incredible shows in the main floor gallery,” Cook-Rutnik remembers.  Luis Camnitzer and Candia were enrolled at Old Westbury. She looked him up and Camnitzer and his wife exhibited their photographs in 2008 at the inauguration of the upstairs gallery. Some of those photos were in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. The community knew little of those big international names. 
Mujeres a Mujeres — Women to Women Isla de Isla — Island to Island Group exhibit. (Photo courtesy Janet Cook-Rutnik)
The museum began the annual fall exhibitions of VI/PR Friendship. There was a series of guest artists with Janet Cook-Rutnik, LaVaughn Belle, and Gerville Larsen, who partnered with the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Juan, P.R. They brought work from their permanent collection.  “There were very important events that came to CMCARTS through Candia’s efforts in the years 2002, 2003, and 2004 — a few big shows at the museum and Fort Frederik — a very collaborative effort, well received and really excellent. The public loved it because Crucians were in it. They could recognize their relatives in the transfer photos IDs,” Cook-Rutnik shared. “Candia and I were good friends. We had a lot of fun together. She’s such a vibrant personality. I still feel her liveliness so strongly. I could not have had a better friend. She cared so much about everyone. She was easy to be with. Candia genuinely loved people and took a lot of pleasure in friendships and connected well to people. I will miss her terribly. The museum was her baby. I told her, ‘You’ve got to be pleased, You’ve got to be proud. This museum is everything you dreamed of,'” she said.  “Candia told it like it was. She took no prisoners!” Evan visited his mom every two years around Christmas. “She knew how to put people to work.” He helped her tend her garden and helped with the Art and Soul calendars. “She pushed them to help the artists and gave a lot of them away. The cost was higher than most calendars and were not easily sold. She didn’t earn any money at the beginning,” Evan said.
Candia and son Evan in their last photo together at Off the Wall on St. Croix on March 1. (Photo courtesy Evan Atwater Shields)
Candia was very generous in giving the artists 10 calendars each as payment for having their artwork in the calendar.  Wire sculpture artist Waldemar Brodhurst shared his work with someone at the museum eight years ago, but he was turned away. When Candia saw his sculptures she asked why she had not seen them before. He explained that there was no interest in his kind of art. Candia encouraged him to bring his art to the museum and show it in an exhibit. His three pieces were sold in that exhibit. She also gave him the information to go to the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts to request a grant to further his art. He received the grant and is doing multiple sculptures and is in many shows. Waldemar volunteered his services at the museum whenever they needed someone to work. He is employed as their maintenance worker with a regular salary.  “Candia believed in me and she supported me. She saw the art in me,” Brodhurst said.  Evan used the analogy of Candia’s museum goals as laying an egg that was maternalistic and protective. As she removed herself a little, it began to hatch. Candia admitted to Evan that she was a micromanager. She had a lot of trouble letting go.  Evan’s brother Mark took his own life. This was a wake-up call for his mom, Evan said. “My mom had a rough life and losing Mark was one of  the roughest on her.” The museum library is dedicated to Mark. The barber next door to the museum spoke to Evan about Candia. He was very encouraging and said that Candia had it “spot on” about the youth in giving them direction so they wouldn’t derail. He said a little bit of coaching, a space, and supplies and people could go far. And further with a little bit of nurturing and a little bit of attention. He spoke about sports and the athletes needing a coach. He likened Candia to a coach — saying that’s what she did with the museum — dancing, music, painting, drawing — it’s all an expression — funneling energy that may go to waste. Evan said his mom was organized. She knew what she wanted. She was faced with so many projects simultaneously, that he called his mom a “scatterbrain” because she wanted this and she wanted that. She encouraged Evan to look toward the future in the simple act of planting an avocado pit as opposed to throwing it away. You must utilize the things you have to get the things you need were her teachings to him.  “My mom found the right people. She sent a lot of letters appealing to family and friends for the finances required for the museum. It’s a wonderful thing. It is honorable,” Evan said. Candia used to buy the nets for the tennis courts and basketball courts in Frederiksted. That’s the kind of person she was — generous and altruistic.  “Her presence is still alive,” Evan said. “Art Raises The Spirit” — Candia Atwater Shields
Candia and Evan in Holland in one of Evan’s favorite photos. (Photo courtesy Evan Atwater Shields)
A Celebration of Life for Candia Atwater Shields: Saturday, Celebration is 3 p.m.- 6 p.m. and a Memorial begins at 4 p.m. The family and friends of Candia request that attendees wear all white in her honor.  Limited seating will be available. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube. Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts 10 Strand St., Frederiksted, 340-772-2622 Visit cmcarts.org for more information.   

Flood Watch Issued Across USVI and Puerto Rico

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Flood Watch Issued Across USVI and Puerto Rico
Visible satellite imagery obtained at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. An unsettled weather pattern across the region is expected throughout the weekend. (Photo courtesy NWS, San Juan, Puerto Rico and NOAA)
The National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has issued a Flood Watch for portions of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands beginning on Friday morning and lasting until Sunday evening. Heavy rain and thunderstorms with lightning are possible. “A trough [an area of low pressure] combined with deep moisture across the local area will bring periods of showers and thunderstorms across the local islands during the next several days, particularly Friday through at least Sunday, according to an update on Thursday from the NWS. “Based on the latest [computer model forecast] guidance, the most likely time period for the heaviest rainfall activity is Friday afternoon into Saturday,” the NWS continued.
NWS map of forecast rainfall totals throughout the weekend. (Photo courtesy NWS, San Juan, Puerto Rico)
The Flood Watch will be in effect from 6 a.m. on Friday until at least 6 p.m. on Sunday. The NWS has noted that approximately two to four inches of precipitation are forecast across both U.S. territories, with locally higher amounts. With Carnival celebrations scheduled to continue into the weekend in the USVI, residents and visitors are urged to monitor weather alerts. “Rainfall accumulations are expected to range from two to four inches, especially for the eastern half of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with isolated higher amounts possible between six and eight inches. Elsewhere, one to three inches are expected,” the NWS stated. While periods of rainfall may be sporadic, any additional precipitation across portions of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands could lead to flash flooding and mudslides.
The NWS expects rain and thunderstorms on Friday and through the weekend. (Photo courtesy NWS, San Juan, Puerto Rico)
“Due to already saturated soils, any prolonged period of heavy rainfall will result in urban and small stream flooding,” the NWS warned. “Some rivers will likely overflow their banks. Therefore, isolated life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides are also possible,” the NWS added. USVI Weather Updates Individuals are encouraged to stay current on the latest weather conditions, and USVI residents and visitors can find information about the weather from the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency website and the National Weather Service. A daily weather forecast is also published on the Source Weather Page, where readers can view weather forecast videos and disaster preparedness video segments.

Edward Bryan Dies at 73

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Edward Bryan Dies at 73
Edward Bryan
The family of Edward “Doc” Bryan died at the age of 73. He was preceded in death by his parents: Paul and Rosemary Bryan; younger brother, Edville Bryan; and sister, Germain Petersen. He was survived by his life companion, Jessie Allen; nephew and wife: Donald and Dawn Petersen; their kids: Delano Destini and AKhari (Chulo); stepchildren: Justin Johnson and Johnny Allen; sisters: Joyce, June and Jeanette; brother, Edmund;  nieces: Gina Petersen, Nancy Aubain, Jacklyn Querrard, Sheila Laplace (D), Amanda Questel, Shaina Querrard, Jennifer Francis, Tina Bryan and Camielle Aubain; nephews: David Petersen, Mario and Paul Harris, Warren and Robbie (D) Querrard, Julius Aubain, Matthew and Chris Bryan; and many great nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the viewing that will be held from 9-10 a.m. Thursday, May 9, at Dan Hurley Home for Funerals with a service to immediately follow. Interment will be at Eastern Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Dan Hurley Home for Funerals and Cremation Centers of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. For online condolences or to share a special memory, visit the website at www.hurleydavisfuneralhome.com

Elizabeth Liburd Dies

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Elizabeth Liburd Dies
Elizabeth Liburd
Elizabeth Liburd of St. Lucia died on April 10. She is survived by her sons: Auguste Hippolyte and Servulus Hippolyte; daughter, Teckla Hippolyte; daughter-in-law, Waltrude Hippolyte; grandchild, Tyson Euristhe; great-grandchildren: Daniel and Abby-Gale Euristhe; and siblings: Pamella Francis, Margarita George and Rosita Hippolyte. She is also survived by nieces: Andrea, Gilbertha, Chriss Hippolyte, Helen, Lucretia, Janelle George, Pearly Francis, Pearl Palage of St. Lucia, Vanessa Hippolyte of Jacksonville and Vicky Deterville of N.Y.; and nephews: Owen Hippolyte, Earl George, USA, Pelton Macelin, Modest George and Nicky George of St. Lucia. Other survivors include friends and family: the Simone Thompson family, Alma John and family, Chapel and family, Albert Daniel and family, Marie Adams and family,  Mary Sonson, Alton Ismael of St. Lucia, Anthony Montoute, Patrika Hippolyte and family of New York, Hippolyte family, St Lucia, Suzan Gifford  of St. Croix, Linda Fonolia and family, St. Croix, Cuthbert George and family, and Vera George and family. A first viewing will be held from 3-5 p.m., Thursday, May 2, at Divine Chapel, 129 Peter’s Rest. A second viewing will be held at 9:30 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 10:30 a.m., Friday, May 3, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Interment will be at the Kingshill Cemetery.

Photo Focus: Dollmaker George Honored at 2024 St. Thomas Carnival Food Fair

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Photo Focus: Dollmaker George Honored at 2024 St. Thomas Carnival Food Fair

Friendship, food, and festivity were the order of the day at the Monsanto Marine Terminal in Crown Bay Wednesday, the scene of the 2024 St. Thomas Carnival Food Fair. Hundreds of Virgin Islanders from home and abroad came to celebrate, many dressed in colorful attire.

This year’s fair was dedicated to retired Lockhart School teacher Sally George, winner of the 2016 Best Crafts Award. George became known for her handmade Karibbean Kids dolls. “I want to thank the Division of Festivals for this prestigious award. I’m totally surprised, which makes it even sweeter,” the honoree said.

Sally George, honored for her Karibbean Kids dolls. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Since retiring from teaching several years ago, George said she devoted much of her time to doll making and teaching her art to the youth. “You know you picked the right honoree when all they do is get up and thank everybody. That is a person who has given and continues to give,” said Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. poses with 2024 Carnival Royalty at the Food Fair opening ceremony. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte welcomed all who came to enjoy the fair, including the passengers on board the Wonder of the Seas, docked at the Monsanto cruise ship dock.

Clinton Stapleton serenades the Wonder of the Seas on Wednesday. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

With the formalities out of the way, it was time to browse the fairgrounds, sample food and drinks, and peruse the produce and crafts. Over at the display sponsored by the Waste Management Authority, Director of Communications Lorna Minkoff sorted out the seedlings.

Waste Management Director of Communications Lorna Minkoff displays ways to recycle food waste through composting. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

St. Thomas Ambassadorial Carnival Queen Majestik Estrada-Petersen relaxed among the fairgoers. When a photographer asked for a shot of her with the regular people, Estrada-Petersen said, “I’m a regular person.”

Carnival Queen Majestik settles onto a bench between fairgoers Salvatore VanHolten and Emma Wells. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

By then, it was lunchtime. A line of patrons queued up by Dynasty Cuisine, where cooks from St. Croix dished up the delicacies. Kianna Ireland ticked off the menu items:

“Lobster and shrimp lasagne; lobster and shrimp mac and cheese; regular mac and cheese; shrimp, mussels in escabeche sauce; seafood salad, boiled fish, fried fish, ginger-guava barbeque chicken,” Ireland said.

While over at a nearby stand, Joel Fox had a shorter wait while Osaira Huygue spooned seasoned peas onto a flatbread.

Theresa Davis (front, right) and Aurora Johnson (center) pack an order for a Food Fair patron near the Wonder of the Seas. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
Theresa Davis, front, right, and Aurora Johnson, center, pack an order for a Food Fair patron near the Wonder of the Seas. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Lighter fare awaited the line of patrons waiting for frosty fracos. Some brought umbrellas to shield them from the midday sun.

Worth the wait — Shanique Powell serves a frosty fraco at Crown Bay. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

But as she stood with a friend, soaking in the scene, Denise Dominique of St. Thomas said her greatest pleasure wasn’t the food; it was “meeting people I haven’t seen for years.”

Territory’s Only Open Abattoir Closed

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Territory’s Only Open Abattoir Closed
The livestock pens at the St. Croix abattoir. (Source file photo by Linda Morland)

Senators have complained to the Agriculture Department for months about the difficulty the closure of the St. Thomas abattoir has caused livestock farmers. On Monday, the department announced that farmers’ option of using the St. Croix abattoir is also gone.

The department said in a press release a significant maintenance issue was found during a routine inspection and that it had to be closed immediately.

Responding to questions from the Source on Tuesday, Commissioner Louis Petersen said, “This issue involves the corrosion of steam pipes, which can leak water and expose staff to temperatures over 180 degrees Fahrenheit.”

 “A contractor has been selected to conduct the necessary repairs,” he added.

As for a timeline, he could only say, “Our contractor/service provider is currently in the process of purchasing the materials for the repairs. Once those materials arrive on site, we will be better prepared to update you with a reliable estimated date.”

When the commissioner appeared before the Senate in September and July of last year, senators questioned him about livestock farmers’ ability to use abattoirs.

He said the solution on St. Thomas was a mobile abattoir that has yet to be delivered. Questions to Petersen from the Source, including when delivery of the mobile abattoir was expected, were unanswered then, and this week the department’s response was, “A plan is in place and is awaiting final and fiscal approval from outside entities.”

According to the department’s webpage, the goal is to provide humane animal slaughter and increase the availability of locally grown meat.

Jane Does Suing USVI Over Epstein Seek Records from JPMorgan Case

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Jane Does Suing USVI Over Epstein Seek Records from JPMorgan Case

The attorney representing six Jeffrey Epstein victims in a lawsuit against the V.I. government is seeking a court order granting access to the unredacted filings and transcripts from the USVI’s complaint against JPMorgan Chase.

The JPMorgan suit, which alleged the bank violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in its dealings with Epstein, was settled for $75 million in September, but not before V.I. officials were deposed, including some that are now being sued by the Epstein victims in the same Manhattan federal court where the complaint against the bank was heard.

Those officials include former First Lady Cecile de Jongh, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, former Senators Celestino White and Carlton Dowe, who now heads the V.I. Port Authority, former Attorney General Vincent Frazer, and former Governors Kenneth Mapp and John de Jongh.

The class action suit, first filed in November by Jane Does 1-5 and amended in December to add a sixth plaintiff, accuses the V.I. government of violating the TVPA in a sprawling conspiracy to aid in Epstein’s sex-trafficking scheme. A registered sex offender who pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution in Florida in 2008, he died by apparent suicide in August 2019 at age 66 while in detention in New York on federal trafficking charges.

Epstein’s primary residence was Little St. James, his private island off St. Thomas where for years he ran a complex web of shell companies registered in the USVI that enabled his crimes.

According to the motion requesting the order — filed Monday before the judge in the JPMorgan case by Jordan Merson, the attorney for the Epstein victims known as Jane Does 1-6 — the plaintiffs have failed in their efforts to get the records by conferring with the V.I. government, as the judge had ordered after Merson first sought to intervene in early April.

“Plaintiffs have provided a list of documents and transcripts they seek from the USVI, however counsel for the USVI refuses and continues to object to production,” he alleges.

During the meet-and-confer, USVI’s “counsel represented that only transcript excerpts had ever been filed and that, in accordance with this Court’s Order, Plaintiffs were not entitled to the balance of the transcripts because they were never filed on the docket,” Merson claims.

Redacted filings in the JPMorgan case are on the court docket and are public record, but Merson said not allowing the plaintiffs in Doe 1 et al v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands et al access to the full record would “rub salt in the wounds of the real victims of the sex trafficking scheme — Proposed Intervenors — to bar them from the evidence needed to prosecute their claims against the other conspirators in the scheme.”

The documents were filed under a protective order that permitted both sides to deem confidential “any information of a personal or intimate nature regarding any individual.” Merson argues that its broad and vague language “resulted in the parties shielding the vast majority of discovery from public disclosure. Proposed Intervenors are now hamstrung by their ability to prosecute their claims against Defendants in the Doe action, including the USVI.”

Merson said he is not proposing that the shielded information be made public — as the New York Times has sought in a separate motion to unseal the documents that the judge has not yet ruled on — but that the plaintiffs and their counsel be granted access under the same rules as governed their disclosure to parties in the JPMorgan case.

“The USVI, which benefitted from the Protective Order in this action, is using it as both a sword and a shield. When it served the USVI’s interest to consent to confidentiality, it did so in order to prosecute claims, ostensibly on behalf of the victims of the sex trafficking venture. In the Doe action, the USVI is now using it as a shield, by moving to dismiss on grounds including a failure to plead with specificity,” Merson alleges in his motion.

“It is the height of hypocrisy for the USVI to use the Protective Order to prevent the victims that gave the USVI standing to sue JP Morgan and others from accessing evidence supporting their claims. Even a cursory review of the redactions on the docket reveals that the redactions pertained to the privacy of many of the Defendants in this action — the government officials who benefited from the sex trafficking scheme,” he states.

“The USVI is in possession of all of the filings in this case and so can hardly oppose an order which places Proposed Intervenors on the same footing as them,” the motion claims.

The V.I. Justice Department, which is representing Mapp and Frazer, and attorneys for the de Jonghs and Plaskett have all moved to dismiss the Doe case. The plaintiffs have until May 8 to file an omnibus reply to those motions, and a pretrial conference has been set for June 21.

Besides the de Jonghs, Mapp, White, Frazer, Dowe and Plaskett, the suit also names John Does 1-100, who it claims were “employees of the USVI.”

That list includes John Does 1-10 and 51-100, who were “USVI customs agents and/or officers”; John Does 11-20, who were “USVI air traffic controllers”; John Does 21-30, who were “USVI airport baggage check agents”; John Does 31-40, who were USVI police officers, and John Does 41-50, who were “USVI coast guard agents.”

Central to the motions to dismiss is whether the District Court for the Southern District of New York even has jurisdiction to hear the case, and whether it is the proper venue, given the alleged crimes occurred in the U.S. Virgin Islands. While Epstein owned a mansion and other properties in New York, and the plaintiffs all live there, all the defendants are residents of the USVI and had little to no interaction with him in that state, let alone business dealings, according to court filings.

Plaskett’s motion to dismiss also argues that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act claims alleged by the plaintiffs are barred by the 10-year statute of limitations, so any that occurred prior to Nov. 22, 2013, should be dismissed, given that the lawsuit was filed on Nov. 22, 2023.

The plaintiffs have alleged violations of the TVPA and conspiracy to violate the TVPA from 2001 to 2019, while Jane Doe 4 and Jane Doe 5 allege injuries that accrued between 2001 and 2009, and Jane Doe 6 in 2004, in effect “bootstrapping” their expired claims to timely claims, she argued.

The motions to dismiss also question why a suit against the V.I. government names the John Does as “employees of the USVI” when their listed occupations/roles are federal government operations or the purview of private companies.

The allegations “border on nonsensical,” they have alleged, with Cecile de Jongh calling the lawsuit “a 225-paragraph mess of vague and scattershot allegations” in her response.

The defendants have until May 13 to respond to Merson’s motion in the JPMorgan case, and the plaintiffs have a deadline of May 20 to file a reply.

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