ST. THOMAS- Members of the Committee on Culture, Historic Preservation, and Aging convened in a meeting at the Capitol Building on Monday and voted favorably for several measures honoring and commending outstanding Virgin Islanders for their generous contributions to the Virgin Islands. Additionally, senators were updated on the Crucian Christmas Festival 2020-2021. All approved items will be forwarded to the Committee on Rules and Judiciary for further consideration.

Lawmakers voted favorably for Bill No. 33-0432- An Act honoring Orville Edward Kean, Ph.D. for his contributions to the University of the Virgin Islands and the Virgin Islands Community by renaming the University of the Virgin Islands’ Sports and Fitness Center the “Orville Kean Sports and Fitness Center as amended. In addition to serving on numerous Boards and Associations, Kean also assisted with the accreditation of the University of the Virgin Islands, introduced new degrees and academic programs that applied to the needs of the community, and launched the Summer Institute for the Future Global Leaders in the Caribbean, as stated in the bill. Dr. Kean stated that he never thought that his work will be recognized in such a manner.

The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Jackson shared his sentiment. “Dr. Kean’s accomplishments and generosity speak volumes to his contributions to the Territory. His achievements will be remembered for generations to come on both the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas Campus and the St. Croix campus as well.”

 Similarly, policymakers voted and approved the following measures:

• Bill No. 33-0425- An Act renaming the South Side Road on St. John “The Rudolph A. ‘Pimpy’ Thomas, Jr. Road.” Sponsored by Senator Stedmann Hodge, Jr
• Bill No. 33-0431- A Resolution honoring and commending Rashawn Ross for his outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of music. Sponsored by Senator Myron D. Jackson
• Bill No. 33-0440- A Resolution commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Charlotte Amalie High School on St Thomas, Virgin Islands 1920-2020 (awaiting Bill number) Sponsored by Senator Myron D. Jackson

However, the following was removed from the agenda: Bill No. 33-0442- An Act honoring and commending Mr. Daniel James for the generous donation of his property to construct an access road in Estate Constitution, serving many families on St. Croix and naming that access road in his honor.

Separately, the Department of Festivals Director Ian Turnbull on behalf of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte shared an update on the Crucian Christmas Festival 2021. In collaboration with the Department of Health, Turnbull indicated that the Virtual 2020-2021 Crucian Christmas Festival consists of musical concerts, cultural performers, and mocko jumbies all slated to perform at the Virtual Village. All events are closed to the public due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Furthermore, Turnbull noted that some of the accomplishments are inclusive of staging/planning for the upcoming festival and establishing State of the VI a forum that allows feedback from Festival participants such as troupes and vendors. Furthermore, there were 34.5 million earned media impressions with exposure in national media and the successful execution of the 2020 Virtual St. John Festival. ###