St. Croix National Heritage Areas Study Meeting
We attended the meeting last Thursday evening and were quite impressed with the presenters and the public’s response. There were 60-75 people who took the time to listen a bit and to participate in the process of discussing and sharing the many cultural aspects of St. Croix which must be preserved.
Diplomatic and down-to-earth representatives from US Department of the Interior went around the room asking each person for his/her name and a one-word description for the island of St. Croix.
There was very little repetition in the adjectives used by all of us who were there. My first choice was “diverse”, but I was seated toward the end of room and the word was used before they got to me. Examples of descriptive words used were: “home”, “green”, “welcoming” and “beautiful”. Michael’s was “inviting”, and I used the word “magical” (my second choice was “colorful” if someone else used my first choice - no one did).
Anyway, not much later in the meeting, they asked people to come up to posters on the walls with suggestions that the “designated recorder” could write on each poster. Each poster had a heading asking about unique cultural aspects of living on St. Croix. I went to a poster and added “scratch bands”. Many other people spoke about various Caribbean foods such as “souse” and “fungi”, “mangoes”. Michael’s concern was for the natural areas which need to be preserved such as Annaly Bay, the Southgate Coastal Reserve, and of course the Great Pond and Great Pond Bay.
The best thing One of the best things about the meeting was that it only lasted one hour! We were all given an informational pamphlet with a comment form.
If you were not able to attend, but are interested in making comments about the island of St. Croix and which areas you believe should be designated as National Heritage Areas, you are invited to send your thoughts to: Cynthia Nelson - Project Manager, National Park Service, Denver Service Center, 12795 Alameda Parkway, PO Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225.
Questions on the comment form are:
1.) What benefits and concerns do you think a National Heritage Area designation would bring to your community?
2.) What traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklore set St. Croix apart from all other places?
3.) Identify the unique natural and cultural sites that tell the nationally important stories of St. Croix, and explain why they are significant.
July 31st, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Thanks for update and address.
If we could have more designated “officially treasured” areas they might give importance to some folks that do not value “old things” So many of the really cool old buildings and other structures that were here when I got here in 1972 were either destroyed by Hugo, Marilyn, Georges, Lenny etc or had their locations “improved” Thank goodness for Our Town Frederksted or so many would be gone.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:20 pm
And thank goodness for Dove, who painted so many of the buildings and scenes that are now a part of the past in Frederiksted. Durante’s Castle was such a wonderful sight at the top of King Street, abandoned and then burned down… Dove is a perfect example of how the arts preserve the past.
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:30 pm
We are very fortunate indeed, Lisa, to have OTF and the St. Croix Foundation to help preserve our historical structures.
And you’re so right, Trudi. The importance of the works of our local artists cannot be overstated.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
[...] there apathy among Cruzans and Crucians? Two other meetings have been held. Are people not sending in their suggestions on the questionnaires? If this is the [...]