COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, 
VETERAN AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION 
 
08/23/2023-REPORTED OUT TO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND JUDICIARY 
 
 
BILL NO. 35-0074 
 
Thirty-Fourth Legislature of the Virgin Islands 
 
 
 
May 3, 2023 
 
 
 
An Act honoring and commending former Senator Almando “Rocky” Liburd for his lifetime 
of service to the people of the Virgin Islands especially St. John, and renaming the North 
Shore Road on St. John “The Almando “Rocky” Liburd Drive” 
 
 
 
PROPOSED BY:  
 
Senators Angel L. Bolques, Jr., Marvin A. Blyden, 
Carla J. Joseph and Alma Francis Heyliger 
Co-sponsor: Ray Fonseca 
WHEREAS, Almando Liburd was born on the island of St. John, Virgin Islands, on 
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January 12, 1953, to the late Hugo Otis Liburd and the late Catherine Samuel Liburd; 
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WHEREAS, Almando Liburd adopted the nickname “Rocky” at an early age due to his 
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father’s love of boxing and came to be known as Almando “Rocky” Liburd; 
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WHEREAS, Almando “Rocky” Liburd received his early education on the islands of 
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St. John and St. Thomas: the Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, which later was renamed 
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Guy Benjamin Elementary School and the Julius E. Sprauve School on St. John, and 
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graduated from the Charlotte Amalie High School on St. Thomas in 1970; 
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WHEREAS, in 1978, Almando “Rocky” Liburd graduated with a Bachelor of Arts 
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degree in Foreign Language from the Interamerican University in San German, Puerto Rico; 
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2 
 
WHEREAS, after he graduated from the University, Almando “Rocky” Liburd worked 
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in the private sector before embarking on a teaching career in the Virgin Islands public school 
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system; serving full time as a Spanish language teacher at the Ivanna Eudora Kean High 
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School, and earlier at the Julius E. Sprauve Elementary School on St. John, and as a part-time 
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professor at the University of the Virgin Islands; 
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WHEREAS, Almando “Rocky” Liburd served in excess of seventeen years as a 
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teacher in the Virgin Islands public school system; 
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WHEREAS, during his formative years, Almando “Rocky” Liburd, who was born in 
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Cruz Bay and shortly moved thereafter to Coral Bay, often traversed the Centerline Road as 
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do most Coral Bay students, to Cruz Bay and then on to St. Thomas for high school; 
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WHEREAS, such trips generally began at or about 5:30 each morning, and made 
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Rocky acutely aware of the need for improvements to St. John’s infrastructure from a very 
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young age; 
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WHEREAS, despite his travels throughout the Virgin Islands and abroad, Almando 
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“Rocky” Liburd always returned to and remained loyal to St. John; 
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WHEREAS, having provided 17 years to the education of Virgin Islands students, and 
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having an overwhelming desire to continue his service to the wider Virgin Islands 
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community, and to provide additional services for the residents of St. John, Almando 
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“Rocky” Liburd ran for the elective office of territorial Senator-At-Large; 
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WHEREAS, Almando “Rocky” Liburd was elected to the 19th Legislature of the 
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Virgin Islands in 1991 and served 8 two-year terms for a total of 16 years as the At-Large 
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Senator from St. John, a position which allowed him to sponsor many meaningful legislative 
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acts which positively affected the quality of life for all Virgin Islanders; 
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3 
 
WHEREAS, Senator Liburd during his tenure as a Virgin Islands Senator, became the 
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first and only At-Large Senator to hold the position of Senate President, a capacity in which 
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he served in both the 21st and 24th Legislatures; 
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WHEREAS, some of Senator Liburd’s most notable accomplishments during his long 
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tenure as Senator and Senate President include, but are not limited to, the following acts, 
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which he sponsored or co-sponsored and which demonstrated not only his representation of 
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St. John but his support for all residents of this Territory, including: 
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(1) 
Act No. 5755 - a $2 million appropriation to the Port Authority to repair the Cruz 
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Bay dock, the Red Hook Dock and the former “Tortola Wharf”; 
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(2) 
Act No. 5798 - 175,000 for repairs to the Julius E. Sprauve School; 
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(3) 
Act No. 5801- $1,950,000 for the repairs to the Eudora Kean, Charlotte Amalie, 
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and St. Croix Central High Schools; 
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(4) 
Act No. 5809 - Mandatory 80% hiring of local residents for businesses receiving 
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EDC benefits and 20% of those hires must be in a management capacity; 
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(5) 
Act No. 5833 - land acquisition for the Calabash Boom Housing community on 
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St. John; 
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(6) 
Act No. 5862 - Transfer of ownership and title of the Enighed Pond, St. John 
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from the Government to the V.I. to the V.I. Port Authority, and to waive the CZM fees for the 
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Marine Terminal Development; 
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(7) 
Act No. 5867 - Public transportation discount cards for school-aged students in 
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the public, private and parochial schools; 
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(8) 
Act No. 5872 - Construction and naming of the Cruz Bay Dock in honor of 
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Loredon L. Boynes, Sr.; 
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4 
 
(9) 
Act No. 5885 - Valedictorian and Salutatorian Scholarships to UVI for all 
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valedictorians and salutatorians who graduate from any public, private or parochial school in 
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the territory; 
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(10) Act No. 5961 - School Calendar Revision Act; 
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(11) Act No. 5999 & 7893 - securing the Franchise Agreement for the ferry boat 
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companies for 20+ years; 
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(12) Act No. 6071 - Red Cross Volunteer Service Leave Act; 
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(13) Act No. 6085 - Single United Board of Education; 
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(14) Act No. 6118 - a Mandate that WAPA conduct and report on a study of bottled 
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water and prospects for WAPA’s export of bottled water; 
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(15) Act No. 6123 - 24-hour reporting period for firearms brought into the Territory; 
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(16) Act No. 6124 - Parents/Students School Participation Program; 
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(17) Act No. 6180 - appropriation of $250,000 for construction of a health care facility 
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in Coral Bay, St. John; and construction to expand the Myrah Keating Smith Health Facility 
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to allow for the holding of patients for at least one week during times of disasters; 
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(18) Act No. 6182 - establishment of the Sexual Offender Registry; 
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(19) Act No. 6219 - confidential listing of HIV and AIDS infections to Commissioner 
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of Health; 
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(20) Act No. 6279 - semi-Autonomous Administration of the V. I. Government 
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Hospitals; 
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(21) Act No. 6233 - Community Service Act for all public, private and parochial high 
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school students; 
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(22) Act No. 6285 - recognizing and commemorating the St. John Slave Revolt of 
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1733 and to observe November 23rd as Freedom Fighters Day; 
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5 
 
(23) Act No. 6286 - creation of the Cancer Registry and which was further amended 
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through Act No. 7939; 
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(24) Act No. 6419 - the Internet Gaming statute; 
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(25) Act No.  6427 – Reviving the sport drag racing on St. Croix (Sec. 39); 
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(26) Act No. 6471 - creation of a VI Agriculture and Mariculture Commission; 
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(27) Act No. 6494 - land acquisition for automobile drag racing on St. Thomas; 
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(28) Act No.  6502 - establishment of the Tech Park on St. Croix; 
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(29) Act No. 6533 - establishment of the Education Initiative Fund which provided all 
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public schools with an impress fund to pay for the day to day operational and service needs of 
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the school; 
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(30) Act No. 6572 - establishment of the St. Croix East End Marine Park; 
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(31) Act No. 6697 - Standardization of V.I. Building Code in conformity with 
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International Building Code; 
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(32) Act No. 7592 - amendment to the Horseracing Act to allow VIGL to operate a 
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racino at the Clinton Phipps racetrack in an effort to move the government amendment 
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forward to construct both district racetracks simultaneously; 
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(33) Act No. No. 7756 - mandating VITRAN bus services on weekends and holidays; 
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(34) Act No. 7947- The Bottled Water Act of 2016; and 
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(35) Resolution No. 1645 - a Resolution to honor and commend James Nathaniel 
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Brewster (founder of Jamsie and the Happy Seven), for his musical contributions to the 
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Virgin Islands community; 
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WHEREAS, in addition to Senator Liburd’s notably long list of accomplishments, he is 
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proud of having approved the establishment of an Imprest Fund for the Legislature, which 
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allowed the institution to pay its own bills and significantly streamline the procurement 
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process, and his approval of establishing the V.I. Legislature’s very own “LEGIT TV”, a 
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6 
 
television system which broadcasts all legislative committee meetings and all formal sessions 
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of the Legislature to the wider Virgin Islands Community, and elsewhere; 
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WHEREAS, in 1996, Senator Liburd was successful in introducing VITRAN bus 
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services to St. John for the very first time with the help of the Schneider/Mapp 
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Administration. The service is operational to date and continues to be a vital source of public 
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transportation to the residents of St. John; 
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WHEREAS, Senator Liburd is proud of his humble beginnings in Coral Bay, St. John, 
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which included public school attendance, and the fact that he initially had little or no financial 
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resources to attend a university but had the will and determination to work multiple jobs in 
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both the public and private sectors to finance his education. He is also proud of being chosen 
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by his colleagues on two separate occasions to serve as President of the Legislature of the 
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Virgin Islands; 
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WHEREAS, Senator Liburd gives credit to the Almighty, his parents, the people of St. 
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John and the wider Virgin Islands Community for instilling in him the resolve to persevere, 
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and to rise to his highest level of achievement.  He has stated that it was such overwhelming 
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support and encouragement that have sustained him these past several years, especially during 
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the period of his daughter’s untimely death; 
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WHEREAS, it is Senator Liburd’s hope that the naming of the North Shore Road on 
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St. John in his honor will be a constant reminder that can help inspire young Virgin Islanders 
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to strive to reach their highest potential by clinging to the notion that “it doesn’t matter your 
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background; anything is possible when you pursue your lofty dreams with commitment, 
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honesty and dedication; Now, Therefore, 
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 
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SECTION 1.  The Legislature of the Virgin Islands, on behalf of the people of the 
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Virgin Islands, honors and commends the Honorable Senator Almando “Rocky” Liburd for 
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his lifelong contributions to the Virgin Islands, especially to the people of St. John, and 
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inclusive of all the people of St. Croix and St. Thomas as well. 
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SECTION 2.  In honor of the Honorable Senator Almando “Rocky” Liburd for his 
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outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the education of the youth of the Virgin 
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Islands, the island of St. John and the people of the Virgin Islands through his advocacy as a 
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Teacher, Senator, and Senate President, the North Shore Road on St. John spanning the 
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distance between Cruz Bay where it intersects with the Centerline Road is renamed 
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“Almando “Rocky” Liburd Drive”. 
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SECTION 3.  The Virgin Islands Department of Public Works shall erect the 
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appropriate signage required by this act. 
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SECTION 4.  The sum of $5,000.00 is appropriated in the fiscal year ending 
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September 30, 2023, from the District Public Road Fund to the Department of Public Works 
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to be used for the erection of signage required by this act. 
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SECTION 5.  The President of the Legislature or the President’s designee shall prepare 
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and present a perma plaque copy of this act to the Honorable Almando “Rocky” Liburd or his 
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Family at an appropriate ceremony. 
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BILL SUMMARY 
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This bill honors, commends and names a roadway to commemorate the contributions of 
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the Honorable Almando “Rocky” Liburd in the educational field, the legislative arena and for 
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the many other contributions to the education of the young people of the Virgin Islands as 
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well as to the people of the Virgin Islands by this dedication and devotion to servicing the 
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community. 
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BR23-0214/April 13, 2023/NS 
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