IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DIVISION OF ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN

The Bank of Nova Scotia,

Plaintiff,

v.

JUNE YVONNE ESANNASON, individually,
and as Trustee of The June Yvonne Esannason
REVOCABLE Trust, and JOSE ROSARIO FIGUEROA,

                                   Defendants,                           

Case No. ST-15-CV-525
Action for Debt and Foreclosure of Real Property Mortgage
SUMMONS IN A CIVIL ACTION

TO:  JOSE ROSARIO FIGUEROA

All holding an interest in:

Parcel No. 18 Estate Hospital Ground
Kings Quarter
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
as shown on P.W.D. No. G9-1625-T70
consisting of 5,335 U.S. square feet, more or less

A lawsuit has been filed against you.

Within 20 days after the last date of publication of this Summons in a Civil Action you must serve on the plaintiff an answer to the Complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The answer or motion must be served on the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney,

Matthew R. Reinhardt, Esq. Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A., 1000 Blackbeard’s Hill, Suite 10, St. Thomas, VI 00802 Tel: (340) 693-0230 Fax: (340) 693-0300 Attorney for Plaintiff, FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION.

If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. You also must file your answer or motion with the court.

Date: June 23, 2017

GLENDA L. LAKE, ESQUIRE
CLERK OF THE COURT

Because the Virgin Islands has experienced such a rise in the rate of violence, the University of the Virgin Islands Center for the Study of Spirituality and Professionalism (CSAP), in partnership with the award-winning anti-trafficking, sexual violence and youth crime prevention agency More Too Life Inc., will host the first Youth Violence Prevention Summit. Themed “Working for Change: A Peace Initiative,” the summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, in the Great Hall on Albert A. Sheen Campus, St. Croix, and Wednesday, June 28, in the Administration and Conference Center Building, Room 142, St. Thomas Campus.

CSAP is holding this summit to raise the awareness of the community and provide sustainable solutions and strategies. “It is our hope to work together with government agencies, private entities and community organizations to reduce violence in our territory and promote peace through our various offerings, and utilize the insights and expertise of university scholars and community leaders,” said Dr. Wendy Coram Vialet, director of CSAP. “We look forward to a productive and engaging summit and continued collaboration between the university and the V.I. community.”

The topics to be discussed include: Current Prevention Strategies, The Politics of Gun Violence, Youth Violence Prevention, Mental Health in Today’s Pop Culture, Human Trafficking Challenges, The Role of the Faith-Based Community in Violence Prevention, Care Management for Today’s Youth, Addicted Victims, and Violators.

The summit will feature guest speakers: Dr. Brook Bello, Sen. Dwayne Degraff, Sen. Novelle Francis, Anne Gaines, Pastor Lennox Zamore and Pastor Carlos Perkins.

Dr. Brook Bello is the founder and CEO of More Too Life. She is an author, innovative thought leader, filmmaker, actress and human rights activist.  She is a sought after motivational speaker, teacher and minister who has been recognized for her powerful work. She has had articles written about her in Ebony and Essence Magazines. Bello received a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama at the White House.

Anne Gaines is currently employed by the Sarasota Department of Health as a Healthy Start Care coordinator, providing free and confidential service for pregnant women, infants and young children. She is committed to More Too Life and to its mission of helping the victims of all forms of human trafficking and sexual violence, while implementing prevention methods to change the way America views exploitation.

Sen. Dwayne DeGraff was a part of the Virgin Islands National Guard and the Virgin Islands Police Department. He has served as a police officer, police sergeant, zone commander, member of a special operations bureau and deputy chief of police. In addition, he was assigned to several other units to include the first marine unit and first joint task force unit with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force where he served as a cross designated federal agent. Over the years, DeGraff has served as a community leader and activist, and has organized numerous island-wide community clean-up initiatives. He presently serves as a senator in the 35^th Virgin Islands Legislature.

Rev. Carlos Wesley Perkins, a native of Jamaica, is the leader of St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church on St. Croix. St. Luke has made great strides in spirituality, education, administration, technology and ministry expansion.

To register for the Youth Violence Prevention Summit, visit http://csap.uvi.edu. The registration fee is $35.

CSAP is an initiative of the UVI’s Office of the President, established to promote the integration of spirituality and professionalism for a greater understanding and adoption of principles: compassion, caring, transformation, service, responsible judgment, honesty and intelligence. Its mission is to create and sustain a harmonious environment for students, faculty and the university in concert with the wider V.I. community and the Caribbean. It strives to be proactively sensitized to the importance of spirituality and professionalism in a wider context.

For more information contact, the Office of the President at 693-1003 or at http://csap.uvi.edu

The V.I. Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) advises residents of the hours of operations for its facilities and administrative offices in observance of Emancipation Day and the 4^th of July holidays. [ Landfills, Transfer Stations (TS), Convenience Centers (CC)]

Island: Facility – Emancipation Day (July 3)/ July 4^th

St. Thomas: Bovoni Landfill – 6 a.m. to 2 p.m./ 6 a.m. to noon

                       Mandahl CC — 6 a.m. to 2 p.m./ 6 a.m. to noon

St. John: Susannaberg TS – 7 a.m. to noon/ 7 a.m. to noon

St. Croix: St. Croix TS – 6 a.m. to 4 p.m./ 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.

                        Peter’s Rest CC – 6 a.m. to 2 p.m./ 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All administrative offices will be closed on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4, in observance of these holidays. Regular business hours will resume on Wednesday, July 5.

V.I. firefighters put out a structural fire in at nos.1-7 Estate Wintberg around 2:48 a.m. Friday morning. Firefighters from Lima Company responding to a 911 call arrived to find a one-story structure fully engulfed in flames and more units from Hotel Company and Echo Company were ordered on the scene.

After entering the building, firefighters were able to confine the blaze to the pool bar. Within 25 minutes, the fire was extinguished, according to the V.I. Fire Service. After extinguishing the fire, Fire Service personnel searched the structural debris for any signs of hidden fires and hotspots. They then conducted a safety inspection on the structure before returning to their duty stations at 4:36 a.m.

The structure sustained significant fire damage. This fire is presently under investigation by the St. Thomas/ St. John Arson Prevention and Investigation Unit.

Uriel Theophilus Rogers

Uriel Theophilus Rogers, better known as Rev. Uriel T. Rogers, of the Midnight Hour Broadcast that airs on WSTA on Sundays, died at his residence on Friday, June 16. He was 84 years old.

Rev. Uriel T. Rogers is survived by his lovely wife of 58 years, Nellie L. Rogers; children: Ellis Rogers, Elsie Rogers-Miller, Uriel Rogers, Esther Rogers, Verna Rogers-Wiltshire and Phyllis Rogers; sons-in-law: George A. Miller and Richard Wiltshire; grandchildren: Kimberly, Stephanie, Ashley and Natalie Miller, Sharita and Elijah Rogers; and many other families and host of nieces, nephews and cousins too numerous to mention.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the first viewing from 7:30-9 a.m., Friday, June 30, at the Celestial Chapel of Hurley Funeral Home. The second viewing will be held at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 1, at Church of God of Prophecy, Estate Hoffman.  Interment will be at Eastern Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the care of Hurley Funeral Home and Cremation Center of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Tortola.

For directions and online condolences, please visit us at www.hurleydavisfuneral home.com

Cynthia Malone Warrell

Cynthia Malone Warrell, better known as “Cynthie and Den Den,” died on Saturday, June 10, at her residence on St. Thomas. She was 75 years old.

She is survived by her husband, Leon Warrell Sr.; daughter, Linda Warrell, sons: Sgt. Leon “Duke” Warrell and Leonard “Simba” Warrell; stepdaughters: LeAnn Warrell and Leona “Pinky” Warrell; stepsons: Kevin Warrell and Lionel Warrell; sister, Ione Malone-Yearwood; brother, Harold Malone, daughters-in-law: Saria Warrell and Yolanda Warrell; grandchildren: Kishma Warrell, Malika Warrell, Jashiel Warrell, Leon Warrell III, Jahiel Warrell, Sheniqua Warrell, Makysha Warrell, Elisha Bruney and Abigail Bruney; and great-grandchildren: Keyon and Kaden Warrell, Zequoy Rymes and Janiya Warrell.

She is also survived by nieces: Alicia V. “Susie” Malone, Durita “Ricky” Roumo, Denise E. Malone, Mariah Malone, Charlotte Malone-Benjamin, Valarie, Cheryl Malone, Jamika Malone, Jerica Malone, Jane Malone -Ricketts and Jacqueline Malone-Hodge; and nephews: Vincent Yearwood, Anthony Malone, Egbert Malone, Miach Malone, Rowan Malone, Jeffrey Malone, Ludence Malone, Carvin Malone, Meade Malone, Guy Malone, Keith “88” Malone, Arden Malone, Roger Malone and Richard Malone.

Other survivors include great nieces: Chenise A. Phillips, Rehenia I. Brummell, Audrey L. Malone, Sandra S. Huff and Lakeisha Wade-Malone; great nephews: Halim A. Scatliffe, Lakoi A. Malone; great-great nieces: KeDeya and Kensi Warrell.  She is also survived by CAHS Class of 1961, the Port Authority family, Helen Bruney and family, Marion Peters and family, Juanita Williams and family, Muriel Dyer and family, Beulah Joseph, Marie “Ollie” Simeon, Officer Sandra Daniel and family, Melva Downing and family; as well as a host of godchildren, family members and friends too numerous to mention. 

A viewing will take place from 5-7 p.m., Friday, June 30, at Hurley’s Funeral Home.

Tributes will begin at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m., Saturday July 1, at The Cathedral Church of All Saints. Interment will be at Western Cemetery No. 2. 

The family requests that mourners wear festive colors.

Arrangements are under the care of Hurley Funeral Home and Cremation Center of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Tortola.

For directions and online condolences, please visit us at www.hurleydavisfuneral home.com

The Virgin Islands Fire Service (VIFS) informs the public that normal operations have resumed at the Tango Company Fire Station located in Estate Fortuna. The station was temporarily closed today due to insufficient manpower.

Personnel who were relocated because of the temporary closure have returned to their duty stations, and all emergency calls for the Bordeaux and Northside communities will be dispatched as normal.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife invites the entire recreational fishing community to a series of Town Hall meetings, according to a press release issued by the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The status of recreational fisheries in the Virgin Islands will be discussed and training for recording effort and catch data on report forms will also be provided.

Updates about improvements to boat ramps and docks will be shared, and there will be an opportunity to provide input on future projects.

Town Hall Meeting dates, times and locations for June are the following:

St. Thomas: 7-9 p.m., Tuesday, June 27, at the Windward Passage Hotel

St. Croix: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday June 28, at Villa Morales Restaurant, Estate Whim

The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) announces that the Beach Water Quality Monitoring Program, which evaluates weekly water quality at popular swimming beaches throughout the territory by sampling for enterococci bacteria and turbidity, which is a measure of water clarity, advises the public of the following:

DPNR performed water quality analysis at 37 designated beaches throughout the territory during the week of June 19-23, 2017. The following beaches meet water quality standards and are safe for swimming or fishing:

St. Croix

Cramer Park

Pelican Cove (Comorant)

Rainbow

Chenay Bay

Cane Bay

Stoney Ground

Frederiksted Public Beach

Dorsch

Princess Condo Row

Shoy’s

Ha’ penny

New Fort (Ft. Louise Augusta)

Columbus Landing

Spratt Hall

Buccaneer

Protestant Cay

Grapetree Bay

St. Thomas

Bolongo Bay

Lindqvist

Magens Bay

Frenchman’s Bay

Secret Harbor

Vessup Bay

Sapphire

Lindbergh Bay

Brewers Bay

Coki Point

Hull Bay

Morningstar

Limetree

St. John

Great Cruz Bay

Johnson Bay

Cruz Bay

Oppenheimer

Frank Bay

The following beaches do not meet water quality standards because they exceed the established enterococci bacteria threshold and, therefore, are not considered to be safe for swimming or fishing:

St. Thomas

Water Bay

Bluebeard’s

High levels of enterococci bacteria and turbidity may be caused by runoff due to heavy rains, heavy marine vessel traffic, high wave activity near the shoreline, irresponsible recreational use, etc. Runoff can consist of sediment, pesticides, animal feces, and oil and grease, all of which are harmful to the waters of the territory.

DPNR will continue to monitor these popular swimming areas. It also recommends that people use their own discretion when swimming or fishing at the designated beaches. If the waters appear muddy or murky or have foul odors, do not swim or fish.

For additional information regarding water quality, call the Division of Environmental Protection at 773-1082 on St. Croix.

The lot at the UVF Terminal is closed to complete a two-level parking garage to provide more parking space and alleviate congestion.

The Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) reminds the public of available parking options for those traveling from the Urman V. Fredericks (UVF) Marine Terminal in Red Hook, St. Thomas to Cruz Bay for the St. John Festival activities.

VIPA Executive Director David Mapp said that the port authority has provided paid parking at Parcel C Estate Nazareth, No. 1 Red Hook Quarter (located adjacent to the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School field) since the closure of the parking lot at the terminal last November. The fee to park at VIPA’s temporary lot is $1 per hour. Parking over four hours will be charged at the daily rate of $6. Paid shuttle service to the ferry terminal is provided by East End Taxi until 11 p.m. at a cost of $1 per trip.

The construction and completion of the parking garage is now expected by January 2018.

The lot at the UVF Terminal is closed to complete a two-level parking garage to provide more parking space and alleviate congestion at this busy seaport. The authority is also adding additional parking spaces for physically challenged drivers and improving drainage and utilities. Commuter parking is not allowed at the UVF Terminal during the construction. However, the terminal and barge ramp remain open and fully operational. Mapp said due to a late start in the construction, the completion of the parking garage is now expected by January 2018.

Mapp asks for the public’s patience as VIPA works to improve its port facilities. He also asks the public to exercise caution when traversing near the construction site.

For more information, contact Monifa Brathwaite, VIPA’s public information officer, at 774-1629 or MBrathwaite@viport.com.

At a Friday news conference, Attorney General Claude Walker, and Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter discuss how they will safeguard upcoming property tax auctions against fraud.

With two property auctions scheduled that will give residents a chance to “own a piece of paradise,” the officials warned Friday that they will be cracking down on any bidders engaged in potential scams.

At a news conference Friday on St. Thomas, Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter said 65 properties will be on the auction block: 23 on St. Croix, valued at $12 million (with $1.1 million owed in taxes and other fees,) 36 on St. Thomas valued at $16.7 million (along with $1.5 million owed in taxes and fees,) and six on St. John valued at $15 million (along with $970,000 owed in taxes and fees.)

The auctions will take place beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday on St. Croix at the Juan F. Luis Hospital’s Benny and Martha Benjamin Conference Center. The second will begin at 10 a.m. July 6 on St. Thomas in the Caribbean A&B Conference Room at the Windward Passage Hotel.

At Friday’s news conference, officials outlined plans to keep the auctions free from the same kind of fraud perpetuated at a 2012 auction that resulted in the arrest of Calford Charleswell, Sylvester Warner, Paul Sabers and Edward McKenzie, who were taken into custody in November 2015.

In February, Charleswell, who faced 14 different charges in connection with the scheme, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and has been banned from participating in any future auctions. Warner faced two charges in connection with the crime, and took a deal that allowed him to plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy, for which he is serving one year of supervised probation, and is required to pay associated fees and court costs. McKenzie pleaded guilty to one charge of compounding a crime and was sentenced to a suspended jail term of 90 days, one year of supervised probation and 100 hours of community service. In a settlement with the Justice Department, he also paid $100,000 to the government.

“As a result of the recent criminal cases prosecuted by the Department of Justice concerning the real property auctions conducted in 2012, special agents have become very knowledgeable about certain illegal bidding practices that the auctioneer, in this case the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, must be aware of to prevent internal and external fraud at the auction,” Attorney General Claude Walker said at Friday’s news conference. “The Lieutenant Governor is providing the general public with an opportunity to own a piece of America’s paradise and the Department of Justice will be there on auction day to assist in whatever way that we can to ensure absolute fairness in the bidding process.”

Walker said that in previous schemes, one bidder would place a high bid then drop out of the running, leaving the second highest bidder – whose bid would be significantly lower – as the winner. For the upcoming auctions, if the highest bidder drops out, that property would go back into the pot, officials said, instead of going to the next person. As a further safeguard, professional auctioneers have been hired and the Lieutenant Governor’s Office has prohibited its employees or members of their family from participating, according to Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter.

When a property is sold at auction, the winning bidder must make a 10 percent down payment the same day and pay off the remaining 90 percent the same week. That money will be stored in an escrow account, officials said, for one year, so that the current property owner still has a chance to pay off what’s owed on the land. If what’s owed isn’t paid off within a year, than the land goes to the winning bidder free and clear of all mortgages, liens and fees.

Anyone interested in participating must pay a $50 registration fee in advance of the auctions, or a $100 registration fee the day of. Neither fee is put toward the price of the property, officials said.

Residents can get more information by calling the Office of the Tax Assessor at 340-773-6649 on St. Croix or 340-776-8505 on St. Thomas.

Kristin Wilson-Grimes, Ph.D., and fellow researcher studying ocean ecology

Two researchers have been selected to speak at the 2017 TEDx Saint Thomas event. This opportunity helps carry the mission of VI-EPSCoR’s Mare Nostrum Caribbean to a national stage, and, perhaps more importantly, it showcases the world-class research taking place at the University of the Virgin Islands with the support of NSF VI-EPSCoR funding.

Kristin Wilson-Grimes, Ph.D., is the research assistant professor of Watershed Ecology at UVI and Director of the Virgin Islands Water Resources Research Institute. Her talk, “SEAS Your Tomorrow,” will focus on her experience as an underrepresented minority in science. The challenges she faced as a minority has fueled her dedication to supporting others and encouraging diversity in the sciences.

Wilson-Grimes will highlight how local students are being engaged in research and how a pipeline is created from middle school through high school, college and even graduate school as students are encouraged to consider and prepare for careers in the ocean sciences.

Viktor Brandtneris, a technical mixed-gas rebreather diver, exploring deep water mesophotic reef of St. Thomas

Viktor Brandtneris, a technical mixed-gas re-breather diver, will talk on a topic entitled “Shelter from the storm, finding hope for coral reefs in a changing ocean.” He will share his experiences diving across the world in no less than 12 nations including the Galapagos Islands, Easter Island, Israel and the U.S.V.I. Brandtneris is part of a team of researchers studying the remarkable deep water mesophotic reefs of St. Thomas where coral colonies are thriving in a time when corals are dying across the world.

Viktor will share breathtaking images of the life that thrives at extreme depths; he will discuss the dangers of working at 230 ft.; he will share on how and why people should protect these reefs. Most importantly, he will discuss the importance of never giving up.

TEDx Saint Thomas will take place at 5 p.m., Saturday, July 15, at the Antilles MCM Center. Tickets can be purchased for $30 per person on July 1 at Scoops & Brew, Cup and Cork, Chelsea Drug Store, Bajo el Sol and Antilles School.

32nd Legislature of the Virgin Islands

Senate Calendar Week Beginning June 19

Monday, June 26

No committee meetings will be held today.

Tuesday, June 27

10 a.m.                                                              

Legislative Session

Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall, St. Thomas

Call to Order: Senate President Myron D. Jackson

Invocation:

Anthem: National Anthem and Virgin Islands March

Roll Call: Sen. Jean A. Forde, legislative secretary

Pursuant to Section 6 (g) of the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, the 32^nd Legislature will convene in Regular Session to judge the qualifications of Senator-elect Kevin A. Rodriquez to serve in the 32^nd Legislature of the Virgin Islands.

The Legislature will rise into the Committee of the Whole to allow Senator-elect Kevin A. Rodriquez and his witnesses to present his credentials and evidence of his qualifications. The committee will also take testimony from the following witnesses:

• Claude E. Walker Esq. – Attorney General of the Virgin Islands
• Barbara McIntosh – Chair of the Joint Board of Elections
• Caroline F. Fawkes – Supervisor of Elections
• Ivy Moses
• Bridgette Berry
• Janelle K. Sarauw

Wednesday, June 28

10 a.m.

Committee: Legislative Session continues

Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall, St. Thomas

Nominee:

Eldondane Francis, member of V.I. Taxi Cab Commission

CONSIDERATION OF FLOOR AGENDA

CONSIDERATION OF BILLS:

The committee has scheduled a meeting to receive testimony and discuss the following bills:

Bill No. 32-0042 – An Act repealing Title 22, V.I.C., section 1251 (a) and adding chapter 14, entitled “The Virgin Islands Insurance holding Company System Regulatory Act” to meet the accreditation standards established by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and update the insurance laws of the territory placing them on a par with other United States jurisdictions, and providing greater and more effective protection to the policyholders of the territory.

Bill No. 32-0066 – An Act making an appropriation from the Anti-Litter and Beautification Fund to the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority for the purchase of surveillance cameras to be installed at selected bin sites

Bill No. 32-0084 – An Act amending Title 19, V.I.C., chapter 31, section 723, relating to extending the time a person may be detained involuntary for mental health treatment

Bill No. 32-0085 – An Act amending Title 19, V.I.C., chapter 31, section 722, relating to mental health emergency commitments by extending the time a person may be detained for treatment

Bill No. 32-0111 – An Act to amend Title 1, V.I.C., chapter 11 to establish September as Virgin Islands Prostate Cancer Awareness

Thursday, June 29

No committee meetings will be held today.

Friday, June 30

No committee meetings will be held today.

Ships calling on St. Thomas dock at the West Indian Co. Dock in Havensight, unless otherwise indicated by AMNS (Austin Monsanto North Side) AMSS (Austin Monsanto South Side) AMHP (Austin Monsanto Home Port) or STJ (anchored at St. John; ships calling on the island remain at anchorage and passengers are tendered into Cruz Bay). The schedule is subject to change.

Sunday, July 2

-Adventure of the Seas (AMSS)

Monday, July 3

-Carnival Fascination

Tuesday, July 4

-Harmony of the Seas (AMSS)

– Norwegian Escape

Monday, July 10

-Carnival Fascination

Tuesday, July 11

-Carnival Glory

Wednesday, July 12

-Celebrity Equinox (AMNS)

-Oasis of the Seas (AMSS)

Friday, July 14

-Carnival Sunshine

Monday, July 17

-Carnival Fascination

Tuesday, July 18

-Norwegian Escape

Wednesday, July 19

-Disney Fantasy

-Allure of the Seas (AMSS)

Saturday, July 22

-Carnival Sunshine

Sunday, July 23

-Adventure of the Seas (AMSS)

Monday, July 24

-Carnival Fascination

Tuesday, July 25

-Carnival Glory

-Harmony of the Seas (AMSS)

Wednesday, July 26

-Celebrity Equinox (AMSS)

Monday, July 31

-Carnival Fascination

Electrical power will be temporarily interrupted Sunday morning in the Estate St.Thomas area, according to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority.

The interruption will allow work on a small portion of St. Thomas feeder 7B. It will take place from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. and will affect a few residents in Estate Thomas, as well as businesses in Wheatley Center 1 and 2.

The interruption is necessary to allow crews to energize the newly installed underground cables for the Raphune Hill project, according to WAPA.

Author and rock mom Virginia Hanlon Grohl. (Photo by Michael Elins)

“From Cradle to Stage,” by Virginia Hanlon Grohl, foreword by Dave Grohl, © 2017, Seal Press, $27, 224 pages

“Turn that music down!”

Yep, you probably heard that a time or two during your teen years. It usually meant that one or both of your parents had enough of your tunes, played at high volume. Sometimes it was Dad, but Mom yelled those words up the stairs just as often.

Don’t you wish, as in “From Cradle to Stage” by Virginia Hanlon Grohl, she once said to turn it up?

When Dave Grohl, frontman for the Foo Fighters and former drummer for Nirvana, was a kid, he and his family spent hours together making memories. Many of those good times included music: listening, harmonizing, and going to jazz workshops.

His mother, Virginia Hanlon Grohl, fondly remembers those days and she “often wondered about the mystical force that urges some of us to listen, to play, to sing, to surround ourselves with music.” She wondered about other musical moms, too, so she decided to seek them out.

Michael Stipe from R.E.M. grew up in many places: his dad was in the Army, and Stipe’s mother “learned to live with uncertainty … and anxiety” during his deployments. That included the Cuban Missile Crisis, which she recounts in the book.

When Dr. Dre was still an infant, Compton burned in the Watts Riots of 1965. It was a frightening sight for his then-teenage mother, who is proud that he “avoided street life, the thug society,” but “was taken aback” by his four-letter-word-loaded songs.

Miranda Lambert grew up helping her parents in their private investigation company. After the business fell on hard times, Lambert’s parents, Bev and Rick, repaid her work by doggedly helping her become a star performer.

The mother of Rush’s lead vocalist, Geddy Lee, is a Holocaust survivor who hoped her son would become a doctor. Kelly Clarkson so loved to write lyrics that she got her mother into legal trouble. Pharrell Williams’ mom has four college degrees. And after a childhood spent with a “selfish, difficult woman,” Amy Winehouse’s mom “vowed …

to be everything her mother had not been.”

Nice. That’s about how one could describe “From Cradle to Stage.” It’s just got that nice vibe, like cordially genteel ladies who have afternoon tea, or who make cookies for guests and belong to a coffee klatch.

In many cases, in fact, that’s exactly what it is. Author Virginia Hanlon Grohl says she literally sat down over tea and cookies with many of these women to discuss their lives and memories of their famous children. The interviews, set between Grohl’s own diary-like “vignettes,” are clean, pleasant, warm, and polite, as if they were conducted for a glossy older-women’s magazine. Readers may catch brief insights into the childhood of a favorite star, but nothing untoward.

Terri Schlichenmeyer

And that’s nice – but will it keep readers’ attention?

That will depend on the reader, of course. If you’re looking for something wild, raucous, funny, lively, or scandalous, you’ll be really very disappointed here. But if you’re looking for something that’s pleasantly nice for yourself or for Mom, “From Cradle to Stage” is a book you can’t turn down.

______________________

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. Her self-syndicated book reviews appear in more than 260 newspapers.

Creativity is the power of imagination. It is discovering your own special talents. Dare to see things in new ways to solve problems. With your creativity, you can bring something new into the world.

You are practicing creativity when you:

– Discover your gifts,

– Use knowledge and training to develop them,

– Think of new ways to make things work better,

– Use your imagination,

– Take time for dreaming, and

– Do things in your own creative way.

Affirmation:

I am creative. I have special gifts and use discipline to develop them. I am open to inspiration. I am happy to be myself.

The Family Connection was established in 2005 by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands as an early-childhood initiative. The mission of TFC is to strengthen the community child care and early education infrastructure in the USVI by building awareness of the importance of early learning and development for success and working with community agencies to promote quality care and education.

One of its efforts is the Virtues Project, an international initiative focused on building peaceful and caring communities.

The Source supports the Virtues Project. We will publish one of the virtues developed by the project each week.

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

All interested persons are hereby notified that in accordance with Section 717 Chapter 12 of Title 29, Virgin Islands Code, as amended, a public hearing for the V.I. Economic Development Commission will be held beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 8000 Nisky Shopping Center, 2^nd Fl., Suite No. 620, St. Thomas, USVI; and via video conference feed to the William D. Roebuck Industrial Park at No. 4 Negro Bay, Building No. 2, Frederiksted, St. Croix, USVI, on application from the following business:

*DSB – Designated Service Business

Any person, firm or corporation interested in the approval or disapproval of the application may appear and be heard provided that a written statement is submitted at least one (1) day prior to the hearing to the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority at No. 116 King St., Frederiksted, St. Croix, USVI 00840; or via facsimile to 340-773-7701; or at 8000 Nisky Shopping Center, Suite No. 620, St. Thomas, USVI 00802; or via facsimile at 340-774-8106.

NOTICE OF GOVERNING BOARD MEETINGS

All interested persons are hereby notified that in accordance with V.I. CODE ANN. tit. 1, § 254, as amended, a decision meeting for the V.I. Economic Development Commission (“VIEDC”) a subsidiary entity of the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (“USVIEDA”), will be held on Thursday, July 6, 2017. The VIEDC decision meeting will be held on applications for tax incentive benefits for Coral World (V.I.); Grapetree Shores, Inc. d/b/a Divi Carina Bay Resort; St. Croix Financial Center, Inc.; St. Croix Renaissance Group, LLLP; Sugar Bay Club and Resort Corp and to resolve compliance matters relating to AUVEN Therapeutics Management, LLLP; Concordia Campgrounds, Inc.; IGY-AYH St. Thomas Holdings, LLC and SubBase DryDock, Inc., beneficiaries of the Economic Development Program.

The decision meeting will begin immediately following the public hearing at 8000 Nisky Shopping Center, Suite No. 620, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and via video conference feed at the William D. Roebuck Industrial Park, No. 4 Negro Bay, Building No. 2, Frederiksted, St. Croix, VI.

Please be advised that the USVIEDA Board of Directors and its subsidiary Board(s) may go into executive session with respect to any decision at any time during the meetings as provided in 1 V.I.C. § 254.

For more information, contact the USVIEDA at the following:

No. 116 King St., Frederiksted, St. Croix, VI 00840
Tel. No.: 340-773-6499, Facsimile: 340-773-7701
                                               or
8000 Nisky Shopping Center, Suite 620
St. Thomas, VI 00802
Tel. No.: 340-714-1700, Facsimile: 340-777-1103  

Wayne L. Biggs, Jr.
Acting Chief Executive Officer

Bad silt fencing on Hull Bay Rd., St. Thomas, Sunday, June 25

Silt fencing on construction work on St. Thomas’ Hull Bay Road was seen flapping in the breeze several inches off the ground Sunday, making it completely ineffective. Silt fencing is designed to reduce silt runoff, especially into sensitive areas like nearby Magens Bay.

If the fencing does not touch the ground, runoff will go under the fence, so that the fencing has no effect. Improper silt fencing is a construction code violation. Story in progress. Stay tuned for more details.

Another young man was killed Sunday night by multiple gunshots, according to the V.I. Police Department.

The victim was identified by next of kin as 22-year-old Vascott David. It was the 14th homicide on St. Thomas since the beginning of the year, the 24th in the territory.

According to police, at 11:23 p.m. Sunday officers from the Richard N. Callwood Command responded to a report of a gunshot victim in the area of Estate Lerkenlund. At the sceneofficers found an unresponsive black male with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds about his body.

The man, who was pronounced dead on the scene by medical attendants, was later identified as David.

Police urged anyone with information about the incident to call the Major Crime Unit at 340-774-2211 ext. 5579 and 5557, the St. Thomas Chief’s Office at 340-715-5548, the 911 call center, or the anonymoustip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477.