Fatal One-Car Crash Kills One and Injures Two Others 16-Year-Old Elvis Smith Jr
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January 12-18, 2015 © Copyright 2015 Fatal One-Car Crash Kills One and Injures Two Others 16-year-old Elvis Smith Jr. dies in Upper Carolina crash – See PAGE 2 Volunteers Tally Celebration, More than 2,000 Representation Birds in Annual and Anticipation Xmas Bird Count for Progress Page 7 Mapp-Potter’s post-inaugural program on St. John Acclaimed Page 3 Environmental Is Someone Firm Provides Getting Away Free Legal With Murder in St. JohnTradewinds News Photo Courtesy of C. D’Abbraccio Mysterious East Assistance To End Point Death? Save Coral Bay Mermaids Spotted on St. John Page 5 Page 4 SWIM LIKE A MERMAID! Three young island girls —Adelaide Jones, Sky $20,000 Minimum JAWS Goes Down D’Abbraccio and Maya Dunkin — display their swimming skills with their mermaid tails at Gibney Beach as dance instructor and costume designer Cyrstal D’Abbraccio Bid Discourages for Last Time? launches her new company Mermaid Swim VI on St. John. Vets from Bidding Page 8 SEE STORY INSIDE ON PAGE 10 on Taxi Medallion LETTERS: PAGE 14 Page 6 PGU INSURANCE SERVICES AUTO • HOME Serving the Community Since 1972 COMMERICAL PROPERTY Lumber Yard Business Center, St. John, VI (340) 776-6403 Email: [email protected] Web: www.pguinsurance.com CASUALTY • BONDS 2 St. John Tradewinds, January 12-18, 2015 One Young Islander Dead, Two Seriously Injured CBCC Launches Forum Series Jan. 12 In One-Car, Upper Carolina Saturday Crash The Coral Bay Community Council will host a series of “CBCC Forums” every Monday at 6 p.m. at the Johns Folly Learning Insti- By JUDI SHIMEL tute in Coral Bay beginning January 12. St. John Tradewinds Everyone is welcome to attend and participate. Each meeting UPPER CAROLINA — An early-morning, sin- will be different, depending on the speakers and topics. Leaders in gle-car accident on Saturday, January 10, took the life the newly inaugurated Virgin Islands Government Administration of 16-year-old Elvis Smith Jr. and left another young and Legislature will be invited to speak to the community and to island man in critical condition. listen to local concerns. Emergency responders had to use extrication CBCC staff will present its work on various grant-funded proj- equipment to remove three of the five people who ects and get community input. Environmental researchers will give were riding in the heavily-damaged vehicle. reports on their studies. People will be asked to volunteer for vari- The driver of the vehicle and a front seat passen- ous community projects, such as repairing and painting the Ag- ger were reportedly unhurt. riculture Center community room as well as shoreline cleanups, Melody Rames, communications manager for the gardening and more. Virgin Islands Police Department said the incident The first meeting, on Monday, January 12, will include the fol- was reported to authorities around 5:30 a.m. Saturday lowing topics: CBCC’s draft project/mission agenda for 2015 and morning. community input; highlights of two CBCC current grant-funded “On Saturday, January 10, a 26-year-old male was projects; Coral Bay Solid Waste Management Plan, including re- operating a red 1995 Honda Accord eastward on Cen- cycling, composting and moving the main waste bin location to terline Road, just past Colombo’s Smoothies, when have a full recycling convenience center. the vehicle ran off of the roadway and collided with There will also be an update given on the National Oceanic a utility pole on the northern side of the road,” the and Atmospheric-funded Project to remove derelict/wrecked ves- VIPD spokesperson said. sels from Coral Bay Harbor. Emergency workers began performing resuscita- St. JohnTradewinds News Photo by Tom Oat Residents’ ideas for future topics and speakers are welcomes. tion on 16-year-old Elvis Smith Jr. and another person CBCC is planning to schedule a forum for every week through Scratches and red paint on this power at the scene, according to Bob Malacarne, training of- March and publish a schedule of topics, usually more than one ficer for St. John Rescue. The two were in the back pole are the only signs of the fatal accident. topic per meeting. Each meeting will last a little over one hour. seat of the wrecked car, Malacarne said. For more information call the CBCC office at 776-2099. “We had members who arrived on the scene in There was an unofficial report that the passenger about 10 minutes,” Malacarne said. “We worked with the head injury was transported by the Star of School Supply Drive on January 17 with the fire department to extricate two of the pas- Life IV ambulance boat to the Roy L. Schneider Hos- The Bethany Moravian Church Board of Stewards will be host- sengers.” pital for emergency care and was later air-lifted to a ing a School Supply Drive on Saturday, January 10 in the Franklin “One was about 15 years old; he was unrespon- hospital on the U.S. mainland. A. Powell, Sr. Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. sive,” Malacarne said. “We began CPR and he was Another victim was airlifted from the helipad at Books, pens, paper, rulers will be accepted and monetary dona- transferred to Myrah Keating (Smith Community the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Centers tions are welcomed as well. For more details, call (340)776-6291. Health Center).” around 11 a.m. Saturday. The police spokeswoman said the severity of the The impact of the crash into a utility pole knocked accident became apparent almost immediately. out power for hundreds of residents on the island’s Friends of VINP Annual Meeting Jan. 18 “Elvis Smith Jr., a 16-year-old, expired on the eastern end for more than three hours, according to a Stan Austin, Regional Director for the South East Region of the scene; he was seated in the rear, middle,” Rames said. spokesperson for the V.I Water and Power Authority. National Park Service will be the keynote speaker at the Friends “A 22 year old in the right rear had a head injury. Jerain Fleming, spokesperson for WAPA, said of V.I. National Park’s Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 18, at Another male, age not recorded, in the left rear was in electrical service was restored after line crews re- T’ree Lizards Restaurant at Cinnamon Bay Campground at 2 p.m. critical condition.” paired the damaged utility pole at the accident scene. The public is invited to hear what Friends of V.I. National Park has accomplished and plans for the upcoming year to protect, preserve and educate within our park. Light refreshments will be served following the meeting. A shuttle bus service is available TRADEWINDS PUBLISHING LLC from the National Park Service maintenance lot at 1:40 p.m. that The Community Newspaper Since 1972 day, and returning after the meeting. All Friends members and the public are invited and welcome to attend. For more information contact Joe Kessler at 779-4940. EDITOR/PUBLISHER NEWSLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS MaLinda Nelson (340) 776-6496 U.S. & U.S.V.I. only [email protected] www.tradewinds.vi $90.00 per year ACC Buccaneer Ball Tickets Available [email protected] email: [email protected] WRITERS Buccaneer Ball Tickets are going quickly. The Animal Care Jaime Elliott, Tom Oat, ADVERTISING THIRD CLASS PERMIT Center’s winter gala fundraiser will be at Eden’s Whim on Satur- Amy Roberts, Judi Shimel, [email protected] U.S. Postage PAID Andrea Milam Permit No. 3 day, January 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. The evening promises to present MAILING ADDRESS St. John, VI 00831 a fantastic experience for all attendees. COLUMNISTS Tradewinds Publishing LLC Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased at the ACC & CONTRIBUTors P.O. Box 1500 © COPYRIGHT 2015 shelter, Catered To, Chelsea Drug, Connections East and West, St. Mauri Elbel, Chuck Pishko, Yelena St. John, VI 00831 All rights reserved. No reproduction Rogers, Tristan Ewald, Andrew of news stories, letters, columns, John Hardware, and online at stjacc.org. Raffle tickets are avail- Rutnik, Craig Barshinger, Jack CIRCULATION photographs or advertisements able at Beach Bum, St. John Hardware, Connections East & West, Brown, Mares Crane, Dan Boyd, Call the newsline to be added allowed without written permission and online atstjacc.org. Bob Malacarne, Raven Philips as a newsstand outlet from the publisher. For additional information the shelter at 340-774-1625. St. John Tradewinds, January 12-18, 2015 3 St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Raven Phillips and Judi Shimel Governor Kenneth Mapp and Lt. Governor Osbert Potter, top left. On the third day of inaugural celebrations, new Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp addresses a gathering in Franklin Powell Sr. Park. St. John post inaugural celebrations included a church service at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, performances by youth groups, left and left center, an open house reception and a dinner dance at the Westin Resort. Monque Matthias, far left, a member of the Mapp-Potter Inaugural Committee for St. John escorts Governor Kenneth Mapp through the gates of the Battery in Cruz Bay on Jan. 7. Celebration, Representation and Anticipation for Progress in Mapp-Potter Post-Inaugural Program on St. John By Raven PHILLIPS treated as less important because of its small land would not be necessary, and that there are St. John Tradewinds size. To ensure St. John issues get the proper plenty of locations on the island from which to CRUZ BAY — The Post-Inaugural Pro- attention they need, Potter pledged he and Gov- choose. gram in Franklin Powell Sr. Park Wednesday, ernor Mapp would make frequent trips to St. Gov. Mapp expressed that he wants to en- INDEX January 7, was a day of celebration, representa- John.