Community forum

On Wednesday, a business forum hosted by Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and the VI Economic Development Authority brought together representatives from companies to discuss how they are protecting themselves and their customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bryan kicked off the forum with a list of his ideas for improving the lives and economy of the Virgin Islands, as part of his administration’s Vision 2040 program. He also spoke about improving the health and health care of residents.

The governor anticipates that there will be six new health facilities, including two skilled nursing facilities, built in the near future. Two hospitals and two clinics are expected to be rebuilt in the wake of the 2017 hurricanes. Better lifestyles will be encouraged by more recreational facilities, bike paths and walking communities, he said. Other plans that Bryan mentioned included 169 VI parks and recreation projects, including the reconstruction of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium and the Vincent Mason Pool in Frederiksted. Bryan said two racetracks and an automobile racetrack will also be built.

“The Virgin Islands have followed for so long; it is time for us to lead, ”he said.

After Bryan’s speech, several representatives from the tourism industry spoke about the safety precautions they are now taking to keep people safe and what they plan to do when they reopen their businesses.

Jayne Halcomb and Elisa Shen, of the Royal Caribbean Group, spoke about the 496,000 passengers on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships brought to St. Thomas in 2019. About 93% of them disembarked in St. Thomas and spent an average of four hours and a half. on the island. When cruises return, the industry will be looking for more outdoor activities and outdoor shopping to keep passengers safe.

Royal Caribbean will adapt and evolve after the pandemic, Shen said. In line with CDC guidelines, they will provide more personal protective equipment, install advanced sanitation protocols, and screen staff daily.

“We can compete with any hospital and will partner with our destinations,” said Shen, after complaining that the CDC had “been a bit invasive in the cruise industry.”

The cruise line will also reduce group sizes and site capacities and eliminate buffets. The company will find more tour operators to lure people off the boat, and passengers will be encouraged to participate in more shore excursions.

Lisa Hamilton of the USVI Hotel and Tourism Association was the first participant to speak about the hospitality industry. More than 1,200 hotel rooms have been closed since the hurricanes of 2017 and the only one open on Sainte-Croix – Carambola Resort – offers limited services. The Divi Carina Bay Resort and the Elysian Hotel are set to reopen this month, with Frenchman’s Reef aiming to reopen in the second quarter of 2022, she said.

Hamilton recommended that the territory create new sites for small groups after the pandemic. Rooms should be more affordable, and hotels should accept alternative payment methods such as Venmo and PayPal. Stores should consider moving merchandise outside with flexible hours for working people. Other ideas include small food fairs and evening street fairs. Vendors will need to continue to use disinfectant and masks, test staff, and update signage.

Representing the St. Thomas / St. John Chamber of Commerce, Adriane Dudley spoke about some of the challenges faced by businesses in the Virgin Islands, including the high cost of utilities, supplies and shipping. During the pandemic, companies do not have the same access to capital and the employment pool is shrinking. Business owners are unable to plan for the future and are suffering from pandemic fatigue, she added.

Ryan Nelthropp, president of the Holy Cross Chamber of Commerce, said businesses can cope with the new normal by getting more creative, exporting products and using more digital marketing and virtual meetings. He added that the government can help the most by dredging all ports to accommodate mega-ships.

According to a Small Business Development Center survey of 38 restaurants in St. Thomas and St. John, 89% are underwater, 8% are stagnant and only 3% say they are okay. In other words, there is a 64% decrease in income in St. Thomas and a 58% reduction in income in St. John. As a result, restaurateurs have seen their workforce decrease by 43%, according to Ted Gutierrez, the state director of the SBDA.

Restaurant owners interviewed said the government could help by collecting workers’ compensation payments quarterly instead of a year, forgiving fines, opening bar counters and helping organize food tours, Gutierrez said. .

Restaurants in Sainte-Croix will be investigated at a later date, he said.

The maritime industry also participated in the forum. She was represented by Damien Cartwright of the VI Port Authority; Oriel Blake, executive director of the VI Professional Charter Association; and Kevin Bailey of the VI Game Fishing Club.

The industry is “booming,” said Blake, with 700 cabins of VI charter yachts occupied for the season. Due to the nature of sailing – with small groups of people on the outside – social distancing is relatively easy. USVI ports are open and there is new interest in St. Croix, she added.

There are 11,000 maritime jobs in the territory and the industry is set to expand, according to Blake. Maritime infrastructure needs to improve and more services are needed, she said.

Bailey said that although the territory offers tournaments and is the blue marlin capital of the world, more land attractions are needed. The fishermen want to go to the beach bars to eat and drink. More moorings and dive sites are also needed.

Cartwright then introduced a young entrepreneur, Tywreh Nelson, to talk about his business, Upper Class OG, a lifestyle brand company.

“Age is proportional to innovation,” Cartwright said.

Nelson and his cousin started the business in 2017. Since then, they have learned to solve problems, trust others and respond to customer requests. They use social media to connect and strengthen their relationships.

“We have to teach and impart knowledge to the residents behind us. The roots create fruit, ”he said.

Several other officials spoke, including Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion, who reiterated COVID protocols for virgin islanders. She said the pandemic had “increased and decreased” and that there are currently cases of community transmission.

“The goal here is not to shut down or sanction businesses, but to encourage them to find creative ways to balance everything and keep people safe,” she said.

Other representatives spoke about the work their organizations are doing for the community, including Gutierrez of the Small Business Development Center and Wayne Biggs, chief executive of the Economic Development Authority, who spoke about loans available through the EDA bank.

Denise Johannes, Director of the Corporations and Trademarks Division in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, explained how to start the process of opening a business, and Richard Evangelista, the Commissioner of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, gave instructions on how to complete the process online.

A presentation on the USVI Economic Reopening and Restructuring Working Group was scheduled for the forum. Yihan Wang, head of economic development at the Research and Technology Park at the University of the Virgin Islands, spoke about some aspects of the study, but the full report will not be complete until the end of January.

Hewlett Fire Department

25 Franklin Avenue
Hewlett, New York 11557

Event date

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Event time

6.30 p.m. – 8.30 p.m.

Contact

Bill Gaylor
cwgaylor @ nassaucount
yny.gov 516-571-6206

Website

http: //[email protected]

Legislator Gaylor and the Nassau County Office for Mental Health, Chemical Dependence and Developmental Disabilities are hosting a NARCAN Overdose Prevention Training Workshop to help residents learn what to do in the event of an overdose and how to administer the drug. An overdose reversal agent called Naloxone, or “NARCAN.” All participants will receive a free NARCAN kit.

RED BLUFF – The Red Bluff Union School District will be hosting a community forum on October 29 to solicit input from residents and offer information on planned improvements to schools in the district using bond funds.

Residents of Red Bluff voted in November 2018 to provide the district with a bond for the facilities and in April the first of three bond sales took place, freeing up money to plan the process of rehabilitating facilities in the district.

The first order of business was to call in the district architect, Semingson and his associates, to conduct a school facility inspection to create a ranked list of the facilities most in need of renovation, according to a statement released on Monday by the Superintendent Cliff Curry.

A team of certified engineers and inspectors brought in by the architect analyzed all sites in the district and created an analysis report that the district planning team would use to plan future school obligation expenses. .

The report came to several conclusions. All sites had many temporary classrooms that needed to be replaced, each site had needed repairs to major systems, and some sites had more needs than others.

District schools are on average quite old. Construction in Bidwell began in 1942 and in Jackson Heights in 1952, with Vista starting in 1962. The newer school, Metteer, was built in 1986. Considering the life expectancy of the state for school buildings, 50 years old, district facilities are quite old by state standards.

In addition, the district’s temporary classrooms, designed with a useful life of 20 years, are mostly over 30 years old, many of which are over 40 years old. More than half of the classrooms in the neighborhood are located in these temporary buildings.

In order to take into account the contribution of staff, parents and the community, the district uses an electronic collaboration tool to solicit contributions on projects it should undertake with funds. Popular ideas for staff include replacing temporary classrooms with regular buildings, improving campus security, and repairing facilities like bathrooms.

The district will soon contact the community with the same tool to request the same contribution, according to the statement.

Planning will focus on replacing as many temporary classrooms as possible within the constraints of the California Public School Modernization Program, which provides matching funds for school facility rehabilitation and new construction.

The community forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 at the Metter School Library. Those interested in the process and wishing to know more are invited to participate in this forum.

CAMP ZAMA, Japan (September 20, 2019) – Kristi Ramsey lived at Camp Zama as a military wife for over a year, and during that time she developed some ideas on how leaders could best improve the living areas of the facility.

Specifically, she would like to see an improved water park, garden and playgrounds.

Ramsey took the opportunity to express her opinion during the presentation of the U.S. Army Garrison’s Future Housing Development Community in Japan at the Community Club on September 18, as she and other members of the community voted on the proposed improvements to Camp Zama, the family housing area of ​​Sagamihara. and Dewey Park.

“It’s good to have comments… to vote on some of the projects they are considering,” Ramsey said.

Colonel Thomas Matelski, commander of USAG Japan, said community input is an important part of the 20-year master plan for the garrison, which is the ultimate outcome of the planning process that included the meeting, and he hopes to receive even more feedback from residents. in the future.

“We are all one family at Camp Zama and the Sagamihara Family Housing Area, and we owe it to you to provide the best family housing and community space we can offer,” said Matelski. “The only way to do it is to talk about it.”

The meeting, open to all community members, featured ideas from housing residents, active service members, and civilian staff assigned to USAG Japan that officials received at a workshop on the plan. development from May 13 to 16 and a survey of residents during the summer.

“We will do other things to encourage participation, but I really treasure these comments because it is not only us who can determine what our accommodation looks like,” said Matelski. “It all depends on your needs and what you need for your families and loved ones. “

Those who attended the September 18 meeting voted by looking at posters that featured suggested ideas and placing small round stickers next to the five they liked best.

Ideas for improving Dewey Park included a gazebo; A playground ; a space for a rock garden and flowering plants; a volleyball court; a walking and jogging path; a camping ground ; aquatic plants; and a football field.

For residential areas, ideas included Japanese-style architecture; landscaping; forward course; back yard; backyard fencing; front door canopies; connected sidewalks; shared lessons; terraces; backdoor awnings; individual parking spaces; balconies; and adjoining parking.

The Schreifer Group, a company helping garrison officials in the planning process, presented the results of the May workshop and survey at the meeting.

Jill Schreifer, CEO of The Schreifer Group, encouraged residents to get involved.

“We really want to make sure that we hear all of your feedback as residents, and that you tell your friends and neighbors about this process, and that you really provide those feedback that will make Zama a great place in the near future. but also in the long term future, ”said Schreifer, who grew up in army accommodation.

While the master plan has a 20-year perspective, the plan includes short-term projects for the next zero to five years; mid-range projects for the next six to ten years; and long-term projects that last 16 years and more, Schreifer said.

Several of the short-term projects could be completed within a year or two, Schreifer said.

Examples of short-term projects included several building renovations, improvements to the historic trail at Camp Zama, and an expanded community garden at SFHA.

Meanwhile, examples of mid-range projects included the demolition and replacement of homes at the Eagles Nest; construction of facilities at Dewey Park; and the construction of a wading pool at the SFHA.

Examples of long-term projects included the construction of a recreational trail at Camp Zama; the reallocation of buildings 373 and 158 for community space at SFHA; and construction of community facilities at SFHA.

Schreifer said a pre-final report will be available on October 18 and will include inputs from the September 18 workshop.

Anyone wanting a copy should contact Peter Heerens, head of the planning branch of the garrison’s Public Works Directorate, or Akihiro Saito, a senior planner in the planning branch, Schreifer said.

The comment period will be open for a month and the final plan is expected to be completed before Christmas, Schreifer said.

Heerens said U.S. Army Facilities Management Command facilities such as Camp Zama must update their master plan every five years, and all facilities go through the same process.

Matelski said that while the plan is 20 years and some of the changes will not affect the people who live here now, residents have a responsibility to watch over those who come after them.

“This is your opportunity to influence the way things will be for families who may not be you,” said Matelski. “And so it’s an important place to provide feedback on the things that you see, that your families see, that your colleagues see in this community and that we can improve.”

TRAVERSE CITY – One of the state’s top officials on PFAS contamination will appear in Traverse City and answer questions from the public.

Steve Sliver, executive director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, will speak at a community forum hosted by the nonprofit Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay on May 9 at the West Middle School in Traverse City. The free program will also feature David Maynard, environmental analyst with the state Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and Dan Thorell, director of environmental health for the County Department of Health. Grand Traverse.

The trio of environmental and health officials will discuss the chemicals that are increasingly found in Michigan waters. In fact, the Washington, DC-based nonprofit environmental task force on Monday identified Michigan as the home of the nation’s most notorious PFAS contamination sites.

Sliver said forum participants can expect to gain a better understanding of state-wide efforts to respond to sites contaminated with PFAS – a family of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

This includes a location in Blair Township, Grand Traverse County, where a 1995 tire fire was sprayed with fire-fighting foam loaded with PFAS chemicals now known to persist indefinitely in the environment and with exposure. chronic, can lead to health problems.

Maynard said the results of the first round of groundwater testing in new monitoring wells installed in March at the local contamination site are weeks away.

At the state level, officials are moving towards adopting PFAS regulations with bite, Sliver said.

“We will be pursuing enforceable drinking water standards this year,” he said.

Last month, MPART established a scientific advisory working group of experts in epidemiology, toxicology, and pharmacology to determine health-based values ​​for PFAS levels in drinking water. In other words, at what level in drinking water should PFAS be removed to avoid negative health effects?

This state recommendation is expected by July 1.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has only set a health guidance level of 70 parts per trillion as a lifetime drinking water standard for PFAS contamination. Federal authorities are currently considering whether this value should be higher or lower and whether the regulation should be enforceable.

Meanwhile, Sliver said Michigan officials continue to explore a multi-agency approach to identify and reduce sites of PFAS contamination.

Military installations and known historic corporate PFAS release sites are top priorities, Sliver said, followed by tests of public water supplies launched last year across the state. The latter resulted in the discovery of PFAS contamination at levels above the EPA guidance level for the town of Parchment near Kalamazoo and Robinson Elementary School in Grand Haven.

Sliver said the state is now adding PFAS levels to its regular surface water testing panel. If levels are found at 2 parts per trillion, a source of contamination will be sought upstream, he said.

“This is how we found Lapeer Plating on the Flint River,” Sliver said.

The Traverse City Public Forum is part of community meetings across the state through which officials are now attempting to engage the public to better understand the risks associated with exposure to PFAS, Sliver said, along with the response from the state to the generalized crisis of water contamination.

Thorell said forum participants will also be informed of the latest information regarding the local PFAS contamination site at Carl’s former retreading facility in Grawn.

“This is an opportunity for community members to ask questions and find out what has happened over the past year,” he said.

Work continues to connect those affected by the contamination to municipal water supplies, Thorell said, either through a zero-interest loan program or through a new state grant opportunity currently being jointly sought. by the Department of Health and the Township of Blair Government.

Want to go?

What: PFAS Community Forum

When: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9

Where: West Middle School, 3950 W. Silver Lake Road, Traverse City

No cost

More Details: Call 231-935-1514 or visit www.gtbay.org online

UTICA, NY – Local realtors, landowners, city officials and community members attended the Downtown Community Forum meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss the Utica housing market.

Some issues discussed were affordable housing, people with buying options and the condition of homes in the area.

Downtown Community Forum co-chair Alyssa Spina says this discussion is important and timely.

“The housing market needs to make sure that we have the inventory to meet demand and that we have the services to identify the right housing,” Spina said.

One of the concerns of the Utica market is not having enough homes to buy. People in the community say the area does not have as many residential homes as it does rental properties.

“A lot of the new homes that come on the market are as rentals, and not necessarily as properties that people can buy, which can lead to a lack of commitment to ensuring that Utica is the best it can be.” , Spina said. noted.

Homeownership Center director Kristen Graves says there are more rental properties than homes.

“The homeownership rate is around just over 40 percent – the rest being rentals,” Graves said. “Right now we have different generations choosing the same house. So you have millennials going to the starting house, where you have your older generation whose families have moved out who are also going for that because they started at home because they are ‘downsizing.’

Another issue raised by those present at the meeting and members of the community is finding affordable housing.

“Maybe some of the housing available is not necessarily affordable for people looking for housing,” Spina said.

Graves says buying a home is also about being comfortable with the cost.

“Affordable housing is no bigger than you,” Graves said. “Understanding that to be in affordable housing, you spend about 30% of your median gross income. “

Buying old houses in the city also presents many challenges.

“The housing stock is much older, 80 percent built before 1978,” Graves said. “So with that you got asbestos, knobs and tubes, you got lead issues in the house, and lead pipes in the house. So it’s a lot to follow, to maintain, it weighs on the health issues, so we see a lot of issues with that.

Experts say the best thing to do is educate yourself before buying a home.

“Do your research and find out what you’re getting into, especially in the Utica area,” Graves said. “So it’s just about educating yourself, working with someone and knowing what resources are available.”

Graves says the Homeownership Center is a resource available to help educate homebuyers on what they can afford to buy and what it will cost in the long run to maintain the home.

The next downtown community forum will take place on May 7.