Dec. 8, 2007 — More than 180 students, members of several local organizations and public officials flocked to the Crown Bay Marina early Saturday morning for the culmination of a month-long cleanup of Hassel Island in St. Thomas Harbor.
The St. Thomas Historical Trust served as primary sponsors of the month-long effort, with the National Park Service proposing a special cleanup day Saturday that coincided with the end of the longer project.
"The cleanup was an idea from the National Park Service," said Ronnie Lockhart of the St. Thomas Historical Trust. "They wanted to do it as part of their 50th Anniversary projects. Mark Hargrove, NPS superintendent, spearheaded this."
Participating in the day's event were more than 180 students from local schools, along with members of the territory's JROTC program, Civil Air Patrol cadets and members of a kick-boxing class. Congressional Delegate Donna M. Christensen also pitched in, along with members of the Park Service, Friends of the Park on St. John, the St. Thomas Historical Trust and representatives from the Office of the Governor.
Representing the governor's office, Leslie Comissiong described Hassel Island as a "jewel in the middle of the harbor," packed with a rich history and much cultural significance. However, she said, over the years the island's shores have become littered with a number of abandoned vessels — most of which have been there since Hurricane Marilyn struck the territory more than 10 years ago.
For the past month, several community groups have worked with the government to remove the junk vessels, she said, adding that Saturday's efforts were designed to be a "bag-and-drag" component, where volunteers took as much trash off they island as they could carry.
Hassel Island's rich history was a sticking point for Christensen, who said that she will be working on identifying funds to preserve the island's historical structures.
Speaking later in the day, Alton Adams Jr. — representing the St. Thomas Historical Trust — said the island's two forts played a pivotal role in developing commerce between the Caribbean and Europe, South America and North America. When the island was under British control, he said, one of the forts also served as a pass-through for provisions channeled to George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
"That’s why this is such a great event," Adams said. "We really need to start bringing back to the community — and the rest of the world — the importance of this island. There really must be a concerted effort to document its rich history and do whatever needs to be done to reduce the rate of deterioration that's been taking place. And one of the ways of doing that is exposing the island and its history to the young folks that are here with us today."
Christensen shared those views.
"There is a lot of world history right here in this harbor, and Hassel Island is a part of it," she said. "Now, it's time to bring this island, with all its cultural importance, back to life."
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