BILLS HONORING IVANNA EUDORA KEAN HIGH SCHOOL 50TH ANNIVERSARY AND GLORIA H. CANEGATA WATERMAN, AND OTHER MEASURES FORWARDED
ST. THOMAS- Members of the Committee on Government Operations and Consumer Protection chaired by Senator Carla J. Joseph, convened in a meeting at the Capitol Building. Policymakers voted on six (6) measures including resolutions honoring and commending the 50th Year Anniversary of the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School (IEKHS) and Gloria H. Canegata Waterman for her outstanding contributions to the Virgin Islands.
2022-01-20 20:29:19 - VI News Staff
Lawmakers voted in the affirmative for Bill No. 34-0174- A Resolution commending the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands on the occasion of the commemoration of its 50th Anniversary (1971-2021) and acknowledging the many accomplishments of the administrators, teachers, and students. The school was previously named Nazareth Bay High School and was renamed the Ivanna Eudora Kean High for the past 50 years. The bill is sponsored by Senators Steven D. Payne, Sr., and Carla J. Joseph. Senator Joseph, IEKHS alumni of the Class of 1988 indicated that “we inherited the struggle, but we did not sit back and endure it silently. We had superior instructors who were a part of our extended family.” Former Teacher and Principal Sinclair Wilkinson stated that although IEKHS evolved from a mode of survival to one that is now the premier high school in the U.S. Virgin Islands, it is important to continue to expand the school. Wilkinson recommended that to ensure the building space is fully utilized, structural repairs are needed in areas damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Furthermore, IEKHS needs an auditorium, a museum to hold Archives/Hall of Fame, and a State-of-the-Art Vocational Education Program for students.
Similarly, senators voted favorably for Bill No. 34-0157- A Resolution honoring and commending Gloria H. Canegata Waterman for her outstanding years of service to the Virgin Islands Community as an educator and public servant through various organizations. The bill is sponsored by Senators Kenneth L. Gittens and Genevieve R. Whitaker. Gizette Canegata Thomas, Waterman’s daughter, mentioned that because of Gloria H. Canegata Waterman’s noteworthy public record and community-service involvement she is worthy of permanent documentation in the history of the Virgin Islands. In a written testimony submitted to the Legislature by Former Governor Charles Wesley Turnbull it was noted that during his tenure as Governor, Waterman served in the positions such as the Assistant to the Governor and eventually served with distinction as the Administrator for St. Croix.