St. John CommUNITY Update – 11/14/17

This update is brought to St. Johnians by Love City Strong (LCS), St. John Community FoundationCoral Bay Community CouncilSt John Rescue, Virgin Islands Relief Fund,
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), Kenny Chesney’s Love for Love City, Bloomberg USVI Recovery, and Help.NGO’s Global Disaster Immediate Response Team.

Party Time! All island children and their families are invited to a kids’ party 1p-4p this Saturday, Nov. 18 in Cruz Bay Park for games, fun, music, and food!

Thanksgiving in the Park! All are welcome to a community Thanksgiving Block Party 1p-6p on Thurs., Nov. 23 in Cruz Bay Park! Dinner is at 4p and FREE of charge. Turkey, potatoes, and coleslaw will be provided; please bring a side dish to share and cash for the bar.

Thanksgiving at 420! 420 to Center is hosting their annual FREE Thanksgiving dinner at 4p on Thurs., Nov. 23 and invites all to attend. Festive costumes welcome!

Meal @ midday! Freshwater Church is serving free lunch at The Fish Trap 12p-1p daily. All are welcome.

Food benefits are available! The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) will provide 2 months of funds for disaster survivors. To apply, bring ID to the DHS office across from the Cruz Bay Fire Station 7a-6p by Sat., Nov. 18.

Prescription assistance! The Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) pays for up to a 30-day supply of prescription medication for disaster survivors until January. Uninsured residents can call Express Scripts at 855-793-7470 to learn if their medication or specific durable medical equipment is covered. Please note that extended wait times and challenging customer service may occur. Post-storm health tips are at https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/psa/index.html.

The LCS Donation Station is open! Stop by the shop next to Dog House Pub in Cruz Bay 9a-12p Mon.-Fri. for retail therapy! Free clothing and shoes are available to all. Due to an unanticipated high volume of generous donations, items are no longer being accepted at the shop. Thanks to the community for quickly filling this need!

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are FEMA assistance centers for individuals, renters, homeowners, and business owners. DRCs are also Operation Blue Roof sign up locations. The DRC in Cruz Bay is at the Legislative Annex building and the Coral Bay DRC is in the Community Council building, hours are 8a-5p Mon.-Sat.

Apply for FEMA assistance by Dec. 18! Visit www.disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-FEMA, or sign up 8a-5p at the DRC at the Legislative Annex building in Cruz Bay or the DRC at the Community Council in Coral Bay. Visit FEMA’s Facebook page, FEMA U.S. Virgin Islands, to learn about programs offered.

+ The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues sign-ups for FREE tarp/roofing installation until Thurs., Nov. 23. Residents may sign up 8a-5p at the Legislative Annex building in Cruz Bay or the DRC at the Community Council in Coral Bay. Bring a photo ID, a property tax bill, and a photo of the damaged roof.

Visit www.sad.usace.army.mil/Blueroof or call 888-ROOF-BLU. WAPA customers with blue roofs can have electricity restored once assessment by a certified electrician is completed.

Power returns! For the safety of restoration crews, WAPA will not restore electricity to residences unless generators have been shut off and weather heads are undamaged. Report all electricity issues to the Emergency Call Center 9a-5p daily at (340) 774-1424. Safety first! Remember not to fuel generators while hot or running.

+ Car barge service runs daily, with a variable number of trips. Check in at the barge for the daily schedule. The passenger ferry service to Red Hook is leaving Cruz Bay every hour on the hour beginning 6a and ending 5p. The return ferry leaves Red Hook at 6:30a, 7:30a, 8a, and every hour on the hour thereafter with the last departure at 5:30p.

A FREE east-west shuttle is in service. Two safari taxis run concurrently from the Cruz Bay passenger ferry dock and the Coral Bay Fire Station. The shuttle schedule is: 7:30a, 8a, 9a, 10a, 3p, 4p, 5p, and 5:30p. The first and last shuttle trips will be traveling from/to Calabash Boom in Coral Bay.

Unemployment insurance is available! The USVI Department of Labor is open 9:30a-1:30p Mon/Wed/Fri at the Legislature Annex building. To receive service, bring your ID and Social Security Card. Check claim status by phone at (340) 713-3410. Disaster Unemployment Assistance is extended through Dec. 29.

Clinical & emergency services: MKS has moved to the DeCastro Building in Cruz Bay. Clinical services, support, and supplies are being offered from the DeCastro clinic (where you get your health card) and the Coral Bay Community Council building. The Coral Bay Fire Department has been temporarily relocated to Calabash Boom as building repairs are being made. The Fire Department in Coral Bay can be reached at 877-521-0811. Call (340) 776-9110 for emergencies. 

+ Help is a phone call away! The Disaster Distress Helpline is available at 1-800-985-5990 for immediate crisis counseling. Free disaster-related legal service is available! Call the US Virgin Islands Disaster Legal Hotline at 800-310-7029.

Businesses are open! Chelsea Drug, the health clinic at the Marketplace, St. John Physical Therapy, Canines Cats and Critters, The Animal Care Center, St. John Insurance, Tunick Insurance, St. John Properties, Computer Express, Connections, Cruz Bay Post Office, Postnet, St. John Printing & Design, Best Winters Land Surveyors, Big Planet, St. John Hardware, Paradise Lumber, FirstBank, Scotia Bank ATM in Cruz Bay, Merchant Bank, St. John Ice, Starfish Market, Dolphin Market, St. John Market, Pine Peace Market, E-C Service Station, Race Track Station, Caravan Auto, St. John Auto Repair, St. John Car Rental, L&L Jeep Rental, Slim Man’s Parking, Moses Laundry, Steve Simonson Photo, Bamboula, Cruz Salon, Papaya Café, Sun Dog Café, Chester’s Getaway, Hercules, Sam & Jack’s Deli, Lime Inn, Uncle Joe’s BBQ, Dog House Pub, Cruz Bay Landing, 420 to Center, Extra Virgin, Rhumb Lines, Banana Deck, Fish Trap, La Tapa, The Terrace, Island Cork, P & P’s by the Sea, North Shore Deli, The Tap Room, Da Livio, Jolly Dog Trading Co., Wok on the Beach, Indigo Grill, Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis, Calabash Market, Thirsty Donkey, Pizzabar in Paradise, and Love City Market in Coral Bay are operational.

+ WiFi hotspots in town are near Ronnie’s Pizza, Connections, between the BMV building and the tennis court, and on the 3rd floor of the Marketplace. To prevent slow WiFi speed, please disable automatic app updates.

Look for VINGN-FreePublic or DIRT-FreePublic. No passwords are needed.

+ Volunteers are needed to help clear the upper campus of Gifft Hill School. Head to the school for details.

+ St. John School of the Arts is open and offering free on-site and after-school programs. Contact Jenna Fox at info@stjohnschoolofthearts.org or 340-228-2511.

+ DPW is now removing storm debris from public roads.

Move all storm debris within 10 feet of the roadside and sort by debris type. Appliances, electronics, vegetation, and roofing/construction materials must all be separated. If you are not part of an HOA and need help moving debris from a secondary road to a primary road for collection, email mcenright@gmail.comDo not obstruct the road with debris. Drop off all hazardous household waste (paint, oil, gas, batteries, chemicals, etc.) to the MKS ER entrance 7:30a-4p Mon.-Sat.

Beaches are reopening! The National Park Service (NPS) announced that Hawksnest and Honeymoon beaches are now officially open! All Caribbean parks remain closed by NPS until further notice to ease the strain on beach, trail and road cleanup. NPS asks beachgoers to visit only officially reopened National Park beaches while they work to open more. Beaches not yet reopened by NPS may be unsafe due to poor water quality and debris from boats, buildings, and trees. NPS is enforcing beach rules; dogs must be leashed, and glass is prohibited on National Park beaches.

Attention, property owners! If you own a multi-family dwelling that needs repairs and are willing to lease to eligible FEMA hurricane survivors, then you may be interested in the Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program (MLRP), which provides funds to make rental units habitable again and helps displaced residents at the same time. Contact FEMA-USVI-MLR@fema.dhs.gov.

Attention, boat owners! Dec. 1 is the deadline to notify the Coast Guard of vessel salvage/removal intentions. Call the Vessel Owner Notification Hotline at (340) 423-6353 or emailcaribbean_recovery@nps.gov. Provide registration, owner information, vessel location, date of removal, salvage contractor, & DPNR/Coast Guard decal target number (for marked vessels). Boat owners may have vessels salvaged and returned to them for free!

+ For those abroad wanting to help, monetary donations are encouraged over other offers of assistance. Recommended charitable organizations are: The St. John Community Foundation, St. John Rescue, Love City Strong, Coral Bay Community Council, The Animal Care Center, Virgin Islands Relief Fund, and Love for Love City. An online registry for volunteer opportunities available once needs are assessed and additional persons on island are sustainable is at https://voad.communityos.org/volunteer-registration-usvi-irma.