St. John CommUNITY Update – 11/22/17

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 CityBloomberg USVI Recovery, and Help.NGO’s Global Disaster Immediate Response Team.

Thanksgiving in the Park! All are welcome to a community Thanksgiving Block Party on Thurs., Nov. 23 in Cruz Bay Park with live music! 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!

Thanksgiving at Dog House Pub! DHP is also open to all to watch football and enjoy a FREE Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Please bring either a side dish or canned good donation.

Thankspiggling at Skinny Legs! All are welcome to enjoy a FREE Thanksgiving dinner at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay on Thurs., Nov. 23 at 4p.

Evening in the Courtyard! Mongoose Junction is kicking off the holiday season on Fri., Nov. 24 at 4p with sales, specials, guest artists, live music and a raffle. Local heroes will be honored at 7p.

The St. John CommUNITY Long-Term Recovery Group will hold its next meeting at 5p on Thurs., Nov. 30 in office suite 201 at The Marketplace. A greeter will be outside Sam & Jacks Deli. The public is encouraged to attend and participate!

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

The LCS Donation Station is open through Nov. 29. 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. Donated items are no longer accepted.

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.

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) 774-1424Safety first! Do NOT fuel generators while hot or running.

Car barge service runs daily departing Cruz Bay starting at 6:15a. Starting this Fri., Nov. 24, car ferry operations will be moved back to the Moorhead Marine Facility! The last car ferry currently returns from Red Hook at 5p. The passenger ferry service to Red Hook is leaving Cruz Bay every hour on the hour beginning 6a and currently ending 5p. NEW: Hourly ferry service to Red Hook will be extended to 8p beginning this Sun., Nov. 26. 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) 713-3410Disaster 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 877-521-0811Call(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 with more every day! 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, Best Winters Land Surveyors, St. John Printing & Design, Computer Express, Connections, Cruz Bay Post Office, Postnet, 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, St. John Printing & Design, Bamboula, Pink Papaya, Cruz Salon, Papaya Café, Sun Dog Café, 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, Little Olive, De’ Coal Pot, Jolly Dog Trading Co., Wok on the Beach, 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.

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 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.com. Do not obstruct the road with debris. Drop off all electronic and hazardous household waste (TVs, computers, paint, oil, gas, batteries, chemicals, etc.) at the MKS ER entrance 7:30a-4p Mon.-Sat. or at the Coral Bay Fire Station 10a-2p this Sun., Nov. 26 only.

Beaches are reopening! The National Park Service (NPS) announced that Trunk Bay, 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 email caribbean_recovery@nps.govBoat owners may have vessels salvaged and returned to them at no cost!

+ 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, and Love for Love City. An online registry for volunteer opportunities available once needs are assessed and additional persons on island are sustainable is athttps://voad.communityos.org/volunteer-registration-usvi-irma.