Coral Bay Residents Agree on Needs
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RESERVE YOUR AD SPACE FOR 2012! ISSUE NO. 6 IS IN THE WORKS. email: [email protected] for more information. St. John Tradewinds News Graphic Courtesy of CBCC Coral Bay Residents Agree on Needs Coral Bay Community Council officials recently released the results of the group’s Community Visioning Survey which included some surprises. See story on Page 4. Answers from more than 200 residents were used to form the graph, above, which illustrates what people like least about the area including the lack of a gas station and the location of the dumpsters. READ FULL STORY ON PAGE 4 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, July 15-21, 2013 Coral Bay Community Council officials are looking for volun- teers this month to help remove all the remaining signs and sign posts from the NOAA – ARRA stormwater projects. The group will reuse the posts for fence posts and sign posts at the wetlands corner park in Coral Bay. Residents are asked to bring the posts and still usable signs to the CBCC parking lot and office by July 31. For more information on how to help call CBCC at 776-2099. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in con- junction with the Island Green Building Association will host a Green Construction Training seminar on Tuesday, July 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Ursula’s multipurpose center. This one-day workshop is free. Engineers, architects, landscap- ers, contractors, equipment operators, and anyone else who is interested is welcome to attend. Representatives from IGBA and NOAA, as well as local green construction experts, will discuss topics including landscaping, building green in the USVI, and the reality of going green. The workshop will include a field trip to local construction sites, where attendees can view and evaluate the St. John Tradewinds News Photo by Bill Stelzer application of green practices. Attendees will receive a participation reward from IGBA, a The Caneel Bay Resort Floupe, above, took first place in the St. John July Fourth $100 value. NOAA and IGBA are partnering to offer valuable Festival Parade. IGBA memberships, Tropical Residential Certification assistance, and green building consultation advice. Space is limited, and reg- istration is required for this free workshop. Register for this infor- mative and rewarding training before July 4 at www.horsleywitten. com/greenconstructiontraining/ or by emailing akitchell@horsley- Floupe Majorettes witten.com. 1- Caneel Bay 1- St. Thomas Majorettes 2- Westin Resort 2- Charming Twirlers 3- Hibiscus Dancers Traditional John’s Folly Learning Institute Summer Program is hosting a Troupes 1- Shaka Zulu delicious fund raiser on Saturday, July 27, starting at noon. 1- Under the Sea 2- Tropical Masqueraders Come on out and enjoy roast pork, baked chicken and fried 2- Gypsy Troupe grouper along with all the sides including macaroni and cheese, 3- Infernos Other fried plantains and more. Punch and dessert is included with each Love City Leapers meal. Mocko Jumbies Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit JFLI’s planned trip BVI Sky Dancers Individual to Ghana. For more information call 775-9594 or check out the Chester “The Mighty Groover” Brady website at www.johnsfolly.org. See you there! Coral Bay Community Council is hosting an AIA workshop TRADEWINDS PUBLISHING LLC follow-up meeting on Monday, July 29, at 6 p.m. in room six at The Community Newspaper Since 1972 Guy Benjamin School. At the meeting, residents will discuss “Next Steps” based on the presentation of the American Institute of Architects and commu- EDITOR/PUBLISHER NEWSLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS nity concerns from the May workshop which included more than MaLinda Nelson (340) 776-6496 U.S. & U.S.V.I. only [email protected] www.tradewinds.vi $90.00 per year 120 Coral Bay residents and property owners. [email protected] The Coral Bay Vision survey results, available at http://sdrv. NEWS EDITOR THIRD CLASS PERMIT ms/13Tvo4K, will also be discussed. CBCC officials will also form Jaime Elliott ADVERTISING U.S. Postage PAID a Steering Committee of residents to lead those “Next Steps.” [email protected] [email protected] Permit No. 3 St. John, VI 00831 COLUMNISTS CIRCULATION & CONTRIBUTORS Rohan Roberts © COPYRIGHT 2013 Andrea Milam, Mauri Elbel, Chuck All rights reserved. No reproduction Pishko, Yelena Rogers, Tristan MAILING ADDRESS of news stories, letters, columns, “No Fleas, Please,” the St. John Animal Care Center’s annual Ewald, Andrew Rutnik, Craig Tradewinds Publishing LLC photographs or advertisements flea market, will be Saturday, October 19, at the Winston Wells ball Barshinger, Bob Schlesinger, Jack P.O. Box 1500 allowed without written permission field from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Donated wares are now being ac- Brown, Mares Crane, Dan Boyd, St. John, VI 00831 from the publisher. cepted. Call the shelter at 774-1625 for information about pickup Bob Malacarne of furniture and volunteering to help with setting up the fair. St. John Tradewinds, July 15-21, 2013 3 By Jaime Elliott ticipate having responsive bidders, St. John Tradewinds but we’ve had other instances Department of Public Works of- where we have gotten zero respon- ficials continue to inch toward re- sive bidders.” pairing a heavily damaged section While Smalls did not have spe- of Centerline Road. cific information about the road Several sections of Center- repairs projects, several local con- line Road, the lone road connect- tractors have claimed that DPW’s ing Coral Bay to Cruz Bay, were bid package is a design build type. initially damaged in the wake of A design build package basically heavy rains from Tropical Storm means the contractor would have Otto in fall 2010. A section of Fish to plan how to repair the road, Bay Road was also damaged at which was supposedly what took that time. almost three years to get approval Almost three years later, a mid- from Federal Highway Adminis- May rainfall which sent large tration. chunks of asphalt fell down the “I’m hearing from bidders that hillside, made the situation even this is a design build contract,” worse. said a Coral Bay resident. “That A section of Centerline Road, would mean that bidders are going located near the Upper Carolina to be making recommendations subdivision turnoff, is now so un- St. John Tradewinds News Photo by Jaime Elliott on what solutions are going to fix dermined only one lane is pass- the road. This could explain why able and residents fear it will give Signs alert drivers of the single lane passable on Centerline Road near the Upper we’re hearing it’s going to take way entirely, making it impossible Carolina subdivision turnoff. six months before the road is re- to drive from Coral Bay to Cruz paired.” Bay. In the meantime, Coral Bay After the road was damaged in In June, signs announcing a “The next step is to evaluate the Centerline Road, he agreed that residents who commute to Cruz 2010, DPW officials placed or- single lane ahead were erected on bids and select the most respon- work could begin by mid-August. Bay and Coral Bay business own- ange cones and barriers in the af- either side of the affected area and sive bidder,” said Smalls. “Shortly “If we were going in mid-Au- ers who rely on delivery of food fected areas, yet no other actions last month officials installed speed thereafter, and we do have to go gust that would be great,” he said. and people over Centerline Road, had been taken until recently. bumps and an asphalt berm around through the whole contract, it is “I don’t want to put a date on it hope the lone road connecting the When the gaping hole near Up- the most severely eroded area to our objective to fast track the ex- because if I say August and then towns hold up until the repairs are per Carolina first appeared, DPW direct water away from the hole. ecution of the contract understand- we don’t start in August, that’s not complete. placed larger orange barriers in DPW’s plans, specifications ing the critical nature of that road- good.” the area. While more lasting re- and estimates for the project were way.” Once the bid packages come pairs were delayed due to stringent approved by Federal Highway Ad- “But obviously whoever is se- back, Smalls will have a better application requirements by the ministration officials on May 23. lected, they must have time to turn idea of a timeline, the DPW Com- Federal Highway Administration, Bid packages were finally is- in all the documents like insurance missioner explained. according to DPW officials, resi- sued in mid-June and this Tuesday, and things,” said Smalls. “And that “I won’t be able to be more dents kicked off a campaign to im- July 16, is the deadline to submit takes a few weeks.” definitive until the bids come in prove safety on the partially blind packages, explained DPW Com- While Smalls declined to sug- and we make sure we have a re- corner. missioner Darryl Smalls. gest a starting date for repairs to sponsive bidder,” he said. “We an- By Jaime Elliott TS Chantal last week, St. John remained rela- formation from the agency. St. John Tradewinds tively dry. VITEMA Director Elton Lewis stood down Tropical Storm Chantal steered clear of the The fast moving storm did not affect any in- the St. Croix EOC early Wednesday morning, Virgin Islands last week as it churned south of coming or outgoing flights from Cyril E.