4 St. John Tradewinds, March 8-14, 2010 Lt. Governor Francis To Start Street Naming Initiative Soon 911 Emergency Number Taken Off Hawksnest Sign St. John Tradewinds St. John Tradewinds A brand new VI. National Lieutenant Governor Gregory Francis is preparing to implement street Park sign was installed last week addressing throughout the territory, a move that will establish a consis- at Hawksnest Beach, replacing tent and comprehensive system for public roads throughout the Virgin a sign that was erected a few Islands. weeks ago which contained in- Implementation of street naming will be a joint effort of the Office correct information. of the Lt. Governor, which administers the territory’s GIS and the Vir- The VINP sign formerly in- gin Islands Geospatial Information Council (VIGIC), a group comprised structed beachgoers to call 911} of various government agencies, to include the University of the Virgin in an emergency, despite the fact IgE 5 1 park Islands, the Water and Power Authority and the Departments of Public that there is no available land- | NER Ded te Works and Planning and Natural Resources. line at the beach, and calls to & Se aan rg A similar street naming initiative was undertaken in the early 1990s 911 from cell phones could be A pe eet 2 =e 7 by DPW with moderate success. routed to Puerto Rico, resulting ms 3) eac h The development of a comprehensive street naming system, which in a longer emergency response ' aw k sn 7 hh ° would enable greater use of GPS technology, has been identified as a time. Se es | critical component in the development of the territory’s GIS program. The VINP was aware of the “The passage of time, technology and a greater awareness of the need problem and changed the sign for a consistent system of street naming have created a perfect opportu- quickly, according to VINP 5 nity for the territory to move forward with this project,” said Francis. ranger Jeff Mihan. 2357 < z DANGEROUS SHOREBREAK. The Lt. Gov’s office is the best positioned to manage the Virgin Islands “When I designed the signs a =f 7 gps al tata IL Street Naming Initiative through its administration of the GIS program year and a half ago, we had a pay and its established relationships with local and federal partners involved phone right there,” said Mihan. - kites — in GIS technology, according to Francis. “In the meantime, the pay phone Pere Bas “ons Peta. ae Over the last few months, the Office of the Lt. Governor, in conjunc- is gone and we're trying to get : eee = ptieinebientehen tion with VIGIC, has taken great strides in advancing its planned street it back.” : sort eee vin naming and addressing initiative. VINP staff is working with In- 4 Francis knows that the success of the project hinges on community novative in an attempt to get pay involvement. phones returned to both Hawk- “We will be asking residents to submit names that they feel are repre- snest and Trunk Bay beaches, sentative of their neighborhoods and areas,” he said. “Everyone’s voice Mihan explained. The park rang- is important in moving this project forward.” er did not know when the phones Communities that previously submitted recommendations to the DPW would be reinstalled. in the 1990s will also have an opportunity to review their recommenda- In the meantime, beachgoers i John Tradewinds News Photo by Tom Oat tions. are encouraged to call 340-776- “Moving this project forward will take the combined effort of our 9110 from their cell phones, not community, administration and legislators,” said Francis. “Street nam- 911, in the event of an emer- ing has been a goal of this territory for many years, and if we all work gency. together we can create a system that we can all be proud of.” VINP officials removed the incorrect information from a new sign at Hawksnest Beach. ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR COMPANY’S GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE? PROP] KING: || We CANHELP! LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION IT’S TIME TO CALL Need a landscape design or just refreshing deck plants? = | me — __ rs We can work with your budget! WV 3C St J h Beautiful tropical plants arriving weekly. l= 7 0 n Call us with your plant needs. Get a tour and review our portfolio of satisfied clients. Mb Employee Pencil ConsUlani=y ine aA i W al r fe 4003 Weymouth Rhymer Highway, Ste. 2 AT THE Tel. 340-643-6348 Charlotte Amalie, VI 00802-2213 www.propertykingusvi.com lonski@propertykingusvi.com . 7 : . Fax 340-715-3313 (340) 775-9393 / Fax (340) 775-6509 Plumbing Fixtures . Electrical Supplies . Power Tools , Z . iene Paint Supplies & Custom Paint Colors You've tried the rest... now hire the BEST! WemsGisiandssy Pool Supplies . ART Supplies . Gardening Supplies PH: 693-8780 FAX: 776-6685 Mon-Fri7 to 5 Saturdays 8 to 12 MARKETPLACE www.viebcserve.com